


So Good So Far

by AoiTsukikage



Series: So Good So Far [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Romance, M/M, Threesome - M/M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-02-19 14:39:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 84,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2392037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AoiTsukikage/pseuds/AoiTsukikage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being in love is hard, especially when the person you want doesn't feel the same. When Zoro rejects him, Sanji finds comfort from the one person he never would have even considered before. And if Zoro eventually decides to change his mind, well, he'll still be waiting. Zoro/Sanji, Law/Sanji, eventual Law/Zoro/Sanji.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

000

It probably said a lot that, in Sanji’s brain, he hadn’t even considered this to be an appropriate response to his…well, he may as well call it what it was… _confession._ Not that he’d expected Zoro to just drop to one knee and profess his undying love, of course; he’d actually thought that Zoro would probably try and fight him, which would end up with them rolling around on the floor and grabbing at each other and…

Yeah, he banished that thought pretty quickly because Zoro’s reaction seemed to be pure confusion and maybe a little bit of revulsion, and that wasn’t even on his radar of things that might come out of this conversation. 

He didn’t know if it was salvageable now, but Zoro _had_ been drinking quite a bit (although, for him, it probably wasn’t even enough to make him slightly tipsy).  Best to pretend he’d said nothing, he thought, and he lit up a cigarette to buy some time before going to rinse out some dishes that had been left in the sink. 

“You’ve got so much moss in your ears that you’re hearing things, dumbass,” he replied, scathing as always, but this time instead of saying something about his eyebrow or demeaning his cooking skills the swordsman merely narrowed his good eye and grunted.  “What?  The moss hasn’t _actually_ leached so far down your head that you’re turning into a tree, has it?”

“I know what you said, Cook,” Zoro started slowly, like he was trying to choose his words carefully.  “But just…what the _fuck?”_

“So you’re saying that _nothing_ that’s ever happened between us has been more than hatred?” Sanji snapped before he realized that, well, he couldn’t take _that_ one back, and he’d pretty much screwed himself now. 

“I respect you,” Zoro was now looking at him like he’d never seen him before, and that might have been more insulting than his previous expression.  “I don’t like you most of the time, but I respect you a hell of a lot and I know damn well you’d never let anybody on this crew take the fall for you if you can get in the way,” he frowned.  “It’s fun to get you riled up, that doesn’t mean I want to fuck you,” he was back to looking kind of horrified and confused again and Sanji bit his lip and turned to the sink, scrubbing at a water-stained plate a little too harshly.   

“Forget I said anything,” he finally mumbled, because he trusted Zoro enough that he wouldn’t go and make fun of him to everybody else for it but if things were awkward between them _somebody_ was going to notice. 

“Hey,” he could hear the scrape of a chair’s legs on the wooden floor and he startled a bit when Zoro came up beside him.  “You annoy the shit out of me, Cook, but you’re not a bad guy.  If I was into that at all, maybe I’d be okay with it.”

“So it’s not just me that you’re repulsed by?” Sanji tried to keep his tone light but even to his own ears it came out wounded, and Zoro clicked his tongue and shrugged. 

“ ‘ve got more important things to worry about, ‘s all.  The road I’ve chosen is one I’ve gotta eventually walk alone,” he sounded serious now and Sanji had to admit that, at least if he was _that_ set on emulating Mihawk, it was probably true.  Maybe it made him feel a _little_ better that he wasn’t so undesirable that not even Zoro, who to his knowledge had never _had_ a sexual partner, would take him up on an offer of it. 

“Whatever.  You’re missing out, moss-head,” he finally stopped scrubbing at the dish and let it slide into the water, rolling his shoulders back. 

“Actually, I’m more surprised that you came to _me_ instead of going to your precious women,” Zoro was smirking now and Sanji kneed him none-too-kindly in the shin.  “Hey!”

“Bastard.  Like I’d ever demean the honor of my beautiful ladies by daring to touch them in that way,” he chewed on his cigarette a little, wondering if he should admit more but damn it, this was the closest he and Zoro had ever come to having a heart-to-heart and he wasn’t going to squander the opportunity.  “I love women.  I love pleasing women.  If one of them came to me and asked me to…I might do it because I know it would make them happy.  But if it’s up to me, I’d never do it.”

“Well, since all you do if a woman touches you is start bleeding all over the place…” Zoro muttered, but he was half-smiling and Sanji didn’t kick him _too_ hard for that one. 

“Shut up, asshole,” he sighed and turned around, taking his hands out of the water and drying them off on a nearby towel.  “So.  Are we gonna forget this ever happened?  Because I’m not too keen on the thought of you holding it over my head,” he didn’t think Zoro would do that, not really, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

“Che.  Whatever.  Already forgotten,” Zoro promised, but he looks markedly more awkward than normal when he clapped Sanji on the shoulder and turned around. 

“You’re already being weird about it,” Sanji muttered around his cigarette, staring at the pile of dishes he still had to do and wondering if he could get away with being lazy for one night out of his life. 

“Look,” Zoro breathed out slowly through his nose before he spun around and stalked back over, stopping far too close to Sanji.  “I trust that you’re not gonna, like, jump me in my sleep.  But yeah, I’m not gonna pretend that it’s not weird hearing you’re into guys when all these years I thought it was only women you cared about,” he sighed.  “So I’m processing, shit-cook, but that doesn’t mean I think you’re a different guy or that I’m gonna avoid you or anything,” he frowned, but Sanji could tell he was being honest, even if it was in his usual blunt way. 

“Yeah.  Sure,” Sanji wasn’t sure he fully believed him, or even if Zoro _realized_ he was already behaving oddly, but Sanji was inwardly kicking himself because he’d pretty much said that nearly all the times they’d been fighting he was thinking about…something else, and since all he and Zoro _did_ was fight, the swordsman might very well start ignoring him altogether without thinking about why, and that might be harder to take than outright rejection. 

“Look,” Zoro settled his hands on Sanji’s shoulders, more confidently than before but now he almost seemed _angry._ “I don’t pretend to know what goes on in that brain of yours, but whatever you’re feeling for me?  It’s not love.  I don’t do romance, Cook, even if I did sleep with people.  I’d die for you, maybe, but I’d die for all of the rest of them, too, and so would you, but I don’t see you confessing to anybody else.  So whatever you actually feel toward me, figure it out, because I know it’s not what you _think_ you feel and the sooner you get over this, the easier it will be.  Unless you wanna explain to the rest of them why there’s weird tension between us.”

“I thought you said…” Sanji started but Zoro shook his head. 

“We both know even if we pretend this conversation never happened, even if I don’t _think_ about why things are different, they’re gonna be,” he looked down and Sanji was inwardly impressed that he’d realized that nearly as fast as Sanji himself had, but the words themselves were like a knife to the heart.  “Just…I’m gonna go to bed,” Zoro let go of him, looking like he didn’t even know what to say, and he turned around and left the galley without a word, leaving Sanji there with the pile of dirty dishes. 

Fuck it. 

They weren’t getting done tonight. 

000

He was drunk. 

He rarely got drunk, because getting up at five in the morning with a splitting headache and a raging hangover while having to cook enough food to appease Luffy…it wasn’t a pleasant prospect to consider. 

Still, he needed _something_ to take away the sting of rejection, and a rather large part of him was trying to figure out if Zoro _did_ have a point.  Why _was_ Sanji convinced this was more than just strict friendship and wanting to protect a crewmate?  He didn’t really have an answer, because it was more of a _feeling,_ but the truth remained that he’d fall into bed with Zoro at the slightest indication Zoro wanted it and he certainly didn’t feel that way about anybody else on the crew…not even his gorgeous women. 

And now he was just a little pissed off that Zoro would _presume_ to know how he was feeling and just _demand_ that he forget about it like he could rip away that part of his emotions and toss them overboard without a second thought. 

“Fuck him,” he said out loud, hiccupping a little, and the creak of the galley door opening had him blearily glancing toward it.  The rational part of his brain told him it was somebody up for a midnight snack, maybe even Luffy hoping he’d left the fridge unlocked, but the decidedly less-sober part was entertaining fantasies about Zoro changing his mind and coming back to say he returned Sanji’s feelings…

“That’s an odd statement to make.”

Sanji dropped his forehead to the table and tried not to be disappointed.  

Of course it wasn’t Zoro.  Zoro probably hated his guts more than ever now and was no doubt freaked out by him.  Zoro probably never wanted to speak to him again. 

He heard the fridge opening and thought absently that only the girls should have the passcode for the lock, but a second later when he heard footsteps heading back toward the door he panicked and reached out, hand flailing in the empty air for a moment. 

“Have you ever been in love?”

The footsteps stopped, thankfully, and Sanji heard a long-suffering sigh like the other man really wanted to leave but somehow felt obligated to stay now.  

“To put it bluntly: no, and I have no real interest in the concept.”

Sanji mumbled something into the wood of the table and realized that there was no possible way he could have been understood, so he forced himself to hold his head up and mumbled, “you’d think a guy with a crew called the ‘heart pirates’ would know more about it.”

“I’m quite sure you know that there is a marked difference between loving somebody and being _in_ love with them,” Law didn’t sound amused and Sanji wondered just how much he was prone to blurting out while intoxicated, so he tried to reel himself in. 

He dropped his head back to the table and mumbled again, not even certain himself what he was saying, but when he finally looked up again he was surprised to see that Law hadn’t left.  “What?”

“I may not be the best at reading social cues, Mr. Blackleg, but I believe you’re facing some sort of dilemma right now and, since you all are in fact doing me a huge favor by coming to Dressrosa, it would be insensitive of me to not hear you out,” he sat down and crossed his legs, scowling, sword up over his shoulder as his fingers flexed on the sheathe.  

“You don’t have to,” Sanji tried to brush it off because honestly, Law was about the last person he suspected would be able to help him.  Well, maybe Luffy would be worse, but Law wasn’t exactly a sympathetic ear. 

“I’m here and I’ve already sat down,” Law said bluntly, making it sound like a chore of some sort, so Sanji tried his best to keep his words clear and started to explain. 

000

“So you’re quite sure your feelings are genuine?”

“What d’you mean?” Sanji muttered, throat dry from talking so much, but to his great surprise Law didn’t react in any way that could be considered mocking and he seemed to be, if not engaged, at least courteous enough to pretend to be interested. 

“You said it yourself: in your eyes, he’s your only viable option, and has been for the last several years.  So it’s entirely possible, I would think, that you’re fooling yourself into thinking your feelings for him go deeper than simple concern for a fellow cremate in order to justify considering him at all,” he said slowly, and it took Sanji’s drink-addled brain a few moments to work through this. 

“So, you’re saying that if there was somebody else, I might realize I don’t think of him like that?” he decided that was what Law was getting at, and the other man confirmed it with a quick nod.  “I mean…maybe?” he frowned, because honestly he’d never thought about that but what Law was saying was undoubtedly true.  Thinking about it now, that he’d even convinced himself he’d fallen for Zoro at _all_ was strange since if he had to make a list about what he’d look for in a potential partner, Zoro probably wouldn’t make the cut.

Still, it hardly mattered because it wasn’t like he could just turn his feelings off and, even if there was some truth to Law’s speculation, it wasn’t as if he could test it out since Zoro was, well, still his only option.  He voiced the last part out loud, something in his voice a lot whinier than he’d intended, but while he expected Law to roll his eyes when he glanced at the doctor he looked more…contemplative than anything. 

“There’s another option,” Law said slowly, and Sanji blinked a few times, trying to wrap his brain around that one.  IF there was, he was certain it would have crossed his mind by now, and there was literally nobody else on the ship close to his age that was interested in men.  Yes, he’d had one night stands before, back when they’d actually had time between adventures to stop at an island for a few days, but It wasn’t something he was especially fond of and…




“You?” he blurted out before he could stop himself, because the very notion was absurd, but Law gave him a tight-lipped smile in return that was affirmation enough.  “But you…I mean…”

“I may be…saddled with a dark reputation, but I _am_ only human and I’ve spent the better part of the last two years on an island with only Caesar, a harpy, and various half-human pirate experiments as potential partners so I can safely say I’ve been voluntarily celibate for a good while now,” his voice was low but there was something dangerous in his golden eyes, a kind of banked heat that made Sanji’s throat feel dry just by looking at it 

“But you…me…” Sanji was cursing himself for sounding like a babbling fool, but the more he thought about it the more appealing the idea _was,_ and that surprised him.  No, it wasn’t close to what he thought he felt for Zoro, but he _did_ get along with Law a good deal better and the other man was fucking gorgeous.  “Why?” he finally got out, and Law smirked. 

“As you said, when there’s a lack of options, you take what you can get,” he stood up, hoisting his sword over his shoulder. “That being said, you’re attractive and intelligent, your captain is in an alliance with me so I feel no danger from being potentially intimate with you, and yet I know we both aren’t sentimental enough to think this would be anything more than scratching an itch, as it were,” he turned away and Sanji was moving before he could stop himself, stumbling a little as his head swam.  He still managed to clutch at Law’s shoulder, nearly falling into his body when the older man spun around.  Sanji somehow was able to find his footing, straightening up and crossing his arms.  

“Okay.”

“Tell me how you feel in the morning when you’re sober and you’ve had some time to think it over,” Law replied, although he didn’t sound offended. 

“What if…” Sanji wasn’t sure if he should ask this because he still wasn’t quite certain Law wouldn’t slice him in half if he pushed too hard, but he needed to know.  “What if we do this and I…I still have feelings for him?” he whispered, and Law shrugged. 

“Then when I leave this ship, as I inevitably will soon enough, you can approach him again and see if his mind has changed.  It will be…hard to hide a relationship of any sort completely on a vessel this small, and his reaction to it might well give you the answer you require,” he half-smiled and Sanji frowned. 

“You mean, if he gets jealous?” he guessed, although that seemed like too much to hope for.  Zoro _was_ protective, though, and he’d been protective of Sanji in the past, so maybe…

Well, he supposed the worst that could happen was that nothing would change from where they were now, and Sanji would still be able to live with that.

He thought. 

Still…

“Why are you doing this at all?  I mean, trying to help people with…love problems, that doesn’t seem…” he wanted to kick himself again because he had a way of running his mouth and saying the most offensive things around Law, but to his great surprise Law’s smirk only widened. 

“As I said, I’m not looking for a relationship.  If it has unintended positive consequences, so be it, but as long as I get to fuck you, I don’t really care what happens with you two in the long run,” he lowered his voice and Sanji shivered, because _fuck,_ he hadn’t realized how much he wanted sex or how long it had been since he’d _had_ it until right now and his body was screaming at him to slam Law against the wall and go at it right then and there.

“Law…”

“Tomorrow, Mr. Blackleg,” Law murmured, pulling away, and he turned and left the galley without another word. 

Sanji was left there, half-hard in his pants, and still kind of wondering what the fuck had just happened. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I know, I know, I should be updating my vampire!Sanji fic, but I've been so swamped this past month between work and school that when I got this prompt I wanted to work on it because this fic will probably be at least a manageable length and the vampire one could go on for quite a while yet.
> 
> 2\. The title of the fic comes from the song of the same name by O.A.R. (who are probably my favorite band at the moment so go listen to their music, seriously!)
> 
> 3\. Feedback is always appreciated! I hope this was a good beginning and I will try to get the next part up as soon as I'm able to!


	2. Chapter 2

“When’s breakfast?”

“When I say so, shitty swordsman,” Sanji grunted, the words rolling off of his tongue easily, but when no snappy comeback was offered he turned from peeling an apple and looked over his shoulder.  “Oi.  I thought you weren’t being weird.”

“ ‘m not,” Zoro gave him a look that was all kinds of unconvincing and Sanji sighed, mentally berating himself for blurting everything out the night before. 

Of course things were going to be weird.  How could they not be?

“Whatever.  Go train or something and I’ll send somebody to get you when it’s done,” he stared down at the counter, trying to ignore Zoro until he felt somebody poke his shoulder.  “ _What?”_

“Food, Cook.  I need stamina if I’m gonna lift weights,” he poked Sanji again and Sanji scowled at him.  “I thought you loved me.  I should get special treatment,” he was grinning and Sanji immediately felt more at ease, because if Zoro could make a _joke_ out of it maybe they really would be okay. 

It still hurt, because it was anything _but_ a joke, but if it was all he had…

“Here,” he threw an apple at Zoro.  “And if you try to use my feelings against me, you’ll be getting a kick in the teeth next,” he added, hearing Zoro bark a laugh.

“I’d like to see you try,” Zoro bit into the apple and Sanji grinned to himself, somehow feeling lighter for everything.  No, Zoro wasn’t returning his feelings, but he’d take the good-natured teasing over being ignored completely. 

“Keep pushing me and you will,” Sanji brandished the knife he was using to peel the other apples at him, and Zoro held up his hands before spinning around and walking out of the galley. 

Sanji sighed and set the knife down, rubbing his eyes for a few moments and deciding he’d leave the apples for a bit. 

He needed a fucking cigarette. 

000

Breakfast was surprisingly tension-free.  Zoro treated him the same as always, which basically amounted to grunting at him when he wanted seconds, but Sanji could feel Law’s eyes on him more than once and the one time he looked up to check for sure, the older man was staring at him rather intently. 

He remembered what he’d agreed to the night before, of course, and in the end his hangover hadn’t even been that _bad,_ but there was still a rather large part of him that wondered if he wasn’t making a giant mistake. 

Yes, he trusted Law to the extent that he wouldn’t try to hurt him while on-board a rival pirate ship, and objectively speaking his body at least was quick to react to the thought of being…intimate with him, but he knew that he fell for people quickly. 

At least, he fell for _women_ quickly, as superficial as he knew those feelings were, and despite having at least a passable amount of experience with sex, he’d never had a steady lover before. 

Fuck-buddy, he reminded himself harshly, because love wasn’t a part of this at all, even if a part of him feared he’d turn any positive attention given to him into some twisted form of love. 

Well, at least that way of thinking was one point for Zoro, because Zoro _definitely_ didn’t show him affection so his feelings weren’t dependent on that. 

“Sanji-kun?” Nami’s melodious voice broke him out of his musings and he snapped to attention immediately.  “Can I get some more juice, please?” she asked sweetly and he sprung across the room to do her bidding, seeing Zoro glowering at him out of the corner of his eye. 

He had no idea why, since it was none of _Zoro’s_ business that he treated the girls as the princesses they truly were, but he filed that reaction away regardless. 

He’d take anything he could get at this point. 

000

“Have you thought about my proposal?”

“Fuck, don’t _do_ that!” Sanji spun around, knife in his hand, because he hadn’t even heard Law come into the galley that time and he wondered absently how long the other man had been watching him. 

“I apologize for startling you,” Law said, the words sounding anything but sincere and rather like he knew it was expected of him to say them. 

“Yeah.  Whatever.  Just don’t sneak up on me when I’m handling knives unless you want me to throw it at you,” he turned back to his work, ignoring Law for the time being. 

Served him right for trying to scare him, after all. 

Law, to his credit, stayed completely silent for about five minutes to the point where it was almost uncomfortable before Sanji heard his footsteps again.  “Yes?”

“My proposal.  Have you considered it any farther?” Law repeated, leaning one hand on the counter and raising an eyebrow as Sanji sighed.  He set the knife down, giving himself an extra few precious seconds, because his conviction was starting to waver a little when directly faced with giving an answer. 

He knew what he wanted to do, and even without the added bonus of potentially making Zoro jealous enough to realize he felt _something_ toward Sanji, the idea of fooling around with Law was too tempting to pass up. 

Law, though, was still more than a bit of a mystery.  At the very least, he did seem to value their alliance (although Sanji was half-convinced it was just because Law needed pawns for his eventual plan).  But committing to this, as casual and commitment-free as it was, still felt like a big step and he was wary of where it would go or if it would help at all with the whole Zoro-thing. 

“I see,” Law’s voice was completely void of emotion and he turned away, shoulders hunched.  “I had suspected that your view might well change in the light of day.”

“Fuck,” Sanji hissed under his breath, bracing himself on the counter and wondering why he had no problem throwing himself in the way or certain death but was too much of a coward to give a simple ‘yes’ to somebody that expected nothing of him. 

“It’s of no concern to me,” Law still didn’t turn around and his voice was tight.  “And I could see why you might be reluctant to agree to such an arrangement with somebody of my…”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Sanji snapped his head up, lighting a cigarette to give him some much-needed confidence and turning fully, staring at Law’s back.  It wasn’t exactly true, but Law didn’t have to know that. 

“You should be,” Law sounded like he was smirking now, embracing his reputation as always, and Sanji snorted, blowing out some smoke.  “Most people who associate with me end up dead.”

The words were delivered harshly, but there was something in his voice that told Sanji he wasn’t proud of the fact. 

“I don’t care about your past,” Sanji decided.  “Everybody on this ship has been through hell and back at some point in our lives, and if I was afraid of death I wouldn’t be following Luffy around,” he grinned.  He loved Luffy, of course, but it wasn’t exactly like his captain took the safest route when going about…well, anything, really. 

“What are you saying?” Law half-turned, eyes narrowed, and Sanji stubbed the cigarette out in the sink and strode over to Law, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking up at him. 

“I’m saying yes, you shitty surgeon, and if you keep making up excuses as to why I shouldn’t I’m gonna start believing _you’re_ the one who’s having second-thoughts…”

He was cut off rather abruptly by Law kissing him.

Well, _technically_ it was a kiss, but it felt more like a full-on assault and Sanji waved his arms rather uselessly before setting them against Law’s shoulders and pushing him off.  He stumbled back a little, opening and closing his mouth a few times but unable to make anything resembling proper words come out. 

Law looked remarkably unfazed, scowling and crossing his arms.  “I thought it was only natural to seal our agreement somehow,” he said, his voice perfectly calm, and Sanji flapped his hands again before collecting himself. 

“A handshake would have been fine,” he straightened his tie and sighed.  “Look, if we’re gonna do this, we need to set some rules…”

“No,” Law said immediately, causing Sanji to bristle. 

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” he asked evenly, and Law took a few steps closer.

“I mean that as soon as you decide to throw rules into the mix it becomes infinitely less enjoyable.  I realize you have ulterior motives, and you know well enough that I only suggested this because you’re willing and I haven’t found a viable partner in much too long, but personally I feel that if it’s merely some sort of…service agreement, it’s going to be very hard for either of us to enjoy what could, at the very least, be potentially excellent intercourse,” he raised an eyebrow as if he were daring Sanji to contradict him, and the blond was almost surprised to find that he really couldn’t. 

“Okay, fine, but that doesn’t mean anything goes, and…”

“Of course not,” Law waved a hand, interrupting him, and Sanji was resisting the urge to kick him.  “If either of us does or suggests something the other doesn’t like, and we refuse, the other has to honor that.  But, from what you were saying, Mr. Zoro doesn’t care that you partake in sexual acts with men, so by all accounts even if he discovered what we were up to if it was obvious that it _was_ merely for the sake of convenience the chances he’d care are rather low.  Would you agree?” he asked, looking almost expectant. 

“Yeah.  I mean, I think he had more of an issue that I like _him_ as opposed to the fact that I like guys.  I mean, he was surprised by it, but he wouldn’t be all…weird around me unless it was something more,” he decided. 

“In that case, it wouldn’t be enough to make him jealous if he simply learned you were sleeping with another man.  Your feelings would have to…shift somehow,” he started slowly, like he was unsure if it was a smart thing to say, and Sanji breathed out slowly because _it made sense_ and yeah, Zoro might not have been that perceptive, but if he started treating Law like he did Nami or Robin, everybody on board would think he was ill.  

“So you’re saying I have to pretend to like you as more than a fuck-buddy,” he decided, not looking at Law as he tried to work it through in his mind.  “And somewhere along the way, make _him_ believe that I don’t have feeling s for him any longer because of you?”

“That’s about the gist of it, yes,” Law affirmed, and Sanji bowed his head forward and rubbed his temples. 

It wasn’t impossible, of course, because he was rather good by this point at pretending he disliked Zoro a good deal more than was the truth.  Maybe inadvertently he’d been doing it to diminish his feelings (not that it had worked, obviously) but it wasn’t impossible to think he could keep doing it.  Law, however, was hardly somebody that made it _easy_ to like him, and Sanji didn’t see him changing his attitude so making Zoro believe there was something genuine there…it wasn’t going to be easy. 

“I can try.  But you’re gonna have to do more than walk around looking like you’ve got a permanent stick shoved up your ass,” he grunted, and Law gave him a half-smile that didn’t seem quite as sarcastic as normal. 

“That can be arranged,” he promised, and Sanji believed him.

“Then okay,” he nodded firmly, feeling at least a little better about everything now that it had been laid out so plainly.  It might not be a contract or any sort of formal agreement, but he knew what to expect and he knew what _Law_ expected, and that was more than enough to least get the ball rolling. 

Whether Zoro noticed anything or not remained to be seen, but Zoro wasn’t nearly as clueless as people seemed to think and if he got even a whiff of Sanji and Law acting differently toward each other he’d start to get suspicious.                              

“Good, then,” Law murmured, looking at him with a pronounced gleam in his eyes.  “And just to clarify, kissing…”

“Go for it,” Sanji decided, because yeah, he knew that some people probably thought it was crossing that intimacy line, but in all honestly Law was right when he’d said that there was no point if they didn’t enjoy it. 

This time when Law kissed him he was prepared for it, and without the suddenness of the first time it was easy to enjoy it.  Law obviously had experience and he was as assured in this as he was in almost everything he seemed to do. 

Still, it was obvious they were feeling each other out in a way, both unwilling to take it too far.  Law pulled away after only a few moments, setting his hands on his hips and clearing his throat. 

“So.  Where is the best place on-board to…partake in such activities?” he questioned, and Sanji thought about it. 

“Well, the only room with a bed besides the girls’ cabin is the sickbay, but Chopper stays up late working sometimes so I don’t want to risk that.  Otherwise we’re either stuck with the bench in the aquarium or up on the mats in the crow’s nest,” he grimaced, because neither of those were tempting options but it wasn’t as if they had a lot to pick from. 

“Do you have watch tonight?”

“No.  Zoro does…” he stopped, then, and realized it might be the perfect way to start putting his plan into action. 

“So the aquarium,” Law reasoned, nodding to himself and walking toward the door of the galley.  “I’ll meet you there after first watch starts,” he called over his shoulder, as casually as if he were discussing the weather, before leaving the room without another word. 

Sanji sighed and collapsed back against the counter, wondering if he was going to get any relief from this at all because he felt like he had to constantly be on his guard around Law. 

Still, the knowledge that he was _actually_ going to have somebody other than his own hand getting him off in a few hours put an extra spring in his step, and he had a feeling _somehow_ that he just might not come to regret this.               

000

“Oi.”

“Hey,” Zoro grunted in return, staring out at the sea.  He didn’t look at Sanji when the blond stepped up beside him, lighting a cigarette and letting the wind blow it toward Zoro in an effort to annoy him enough that he’d _have_ to acknowledge him further. 

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping if you want to stay up for your shift?” Sanji asked, the words sounding strange on his tongue because it wasn’t as if he was _used_ to making small-talk with Zoro. 

“I can handle it.  If I sleep now I’m just gonna be groggy,” Zoro was also being unnaturally cordial and it was _weird._ “Why d’you care, anyway?  Thought you’d love it if I did something wrong and got in trouble for it.”

“I don’t want you to put the girls in danger, asshole, so I’d prefer it if you did your job and kept the ship safe,” he muttered, easily falling back into their normal banter, and Zoro reached out to nudge him with his elbow. 

“Not gonna happen, Cook, so don’t worry about it,” he grinned, and Sanji couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’m not worried.  I just wanted to know if you needed anything from the fridge for the rest of the night,” he let that trail off, hoping that Zoro would find the offer out of place, and he wasn’t disappointed. 

“Why?  Since when did you care if I had a midnight snack waiting?” he frowned and Sanji shrugged, pivoting on his heel and blowing a few smoke rings into the air. 

“Because.  I’m gonna be… _busy_ all night and I don’t want to be disturbed,” he watched Zoro’s face carefully for any sort of reaction, seeing a bit of confusion there before Zoro schooled his features into neutrality again. 

“What’re you up to that’s so important?” Zoro asked slowly, and Sanji had to hide his grin because he’d played right into that one. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Marimo,” he said, deliberately teasing, before shooting a knowing grin over his shoulder and striding back into the galley. 

He’d set the trap. 

Now he just had to wait and see how long it took for Zoro to take the bait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Thank you all so much for the responses I received on the first chapter! I had no idea so many people would be interested in this fic but I appreciate it because it’s incentive for me to keep writing.   
> 2\. I hope this chapter was enjoyable as well, and now that most of the set-up is done we can start to move more into the action, as it were.   
> 3\. Please feel free to leave a comment or review if you’re so inclined, and you can also find me on tumblr at [kikokus](http://kikokus.tumblr.com).


	3. Chapter 3

Law was already there by the time he had finished cleaning up after dinner, and as he entered the aquarium he was surprised at how much he was actually looking forward to this.  It was still odd, in a way, if only because he’d never really slept with anybody he knew and that he’d have to spend time with after the fact. 

The room was semi-dark, the rippling water of the large tanks creating wavy shadows and distorting the light on every surface.  It was peaceful, in a strange way, despite the fish zipping around in an eternal search for food.  Law looked up at him, golden eyes nearly glowing in the aqua-tinged half-light, and Sanji knew there was nothing to be afraid of. 

“How long has it been?” Law asked in a near whisper, his voice dripping sensuality even when he wasn’t trying. 

“Over two years,” Sanji replied honestly, and that seemed like an eternity now. 

“We’re both out of practice then,” Law was regarding him carefully, like a predator observing his prey, and it made a feral heat rise up in Sanji’s body. 

“I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it again,” Sanji jammed his hands in his pockets, striding forward with confidence, and he sat down beside Law and glanced sideways at him.  “So.  What’s the plan?”

“Well…” Law removed his hat and ran the fingers of one hand through his hair, fluffing it up a little.  “I’m assuming that neither of us will have a great deal of stamina considering how long it’s been since either of us had a bedmate, so perhaps we should start things off slowly,” he suggested. 

“Yeah.  Okay,” Sanji paused, wondering if there was some sort of etiquette they were supposed to follow, but whatever they did they’d have to be naked so he figured that undressing would be a good start.  He undid his tie, leaving it hanging loose around his neck, and flicked open the buttons on his shirt with sure fingers.  Law was watching him, quietly observing, and Sanji shrugged the shirt off of his shoulders before placing it gently aside.  “Are you gonna return the favor or not?” he asked, quirking a curled eyebrow, and Law chuckled before gripping the hem of his shirt. 

“I should warn you that it might not be what you’re expecting…”

“Look, if Zoro can be missing an eye and have a giant scar from getting his chest damn near sliced open and I still want him, I don’t think I’ll be put off by anything,” he shivered, because damn, he should have known even then that Zoro would be somebody important to him.  The day it had happened, with Mihawk, he’d nearly felt his heart stop when he saw Zoro accept his defeat, and all he remembered was blood and his own voice screaming something about giving up idiotic dreams if it meant being alive. 

He hadn’t known Zoro from a hole in the head then and yet he’d been _worried_ for him, which was something that almost never happened.  Yeah, he was pretty much fucked from the get-go. 

“I’m not talking about a scar,” Law murmured, but he stripped off his shirt regardless and dropped it over his hat, looking at Sanji as if to gauge his reaction. 

“Woah,” Sanji blinked, because yes, it was hard not to notice Law’s tattoos on his hands and arms, but he’d had no idea nearly his entire upper body was inked.  The abundance of hearts might well have looked silly on anyone else, but somehow between the almost tribal style of all of them, the perfect symmetry on both sides of his body, and the fact that it was such a contrast to his personality, they suited him perfectly. 

Law kept staring at him as if waiting for some larger reaction and Sanji reached out before he could stop himself, fingers tracing the swirls of ink running over Law’s collarbones.  He didn’t say anything, not sure if he wanted to break the stillness of the moment, and instead swept one hand up Law’s neck to cradle his jaw, leaning in to kiss him. 

Law’s hands settled on his hips after a few long moments, his body relaxing a little, and Sanji was _really_ fucking glad he’d agreed to the whole kissing thing because this was just…nice. 

Sanji slid his free hand into Law’s hair, tugging a little, and Law growled and nipped at his lips, something unintentionally playful about it that didn’t seem in his nature at all.  The blond opened his mouth obligingly, moaning when their tongues brushed together.  He wrapped his arms around Law’s shoulders, pulling him closer, and when they broke apart they were both panting. 

“Holy shit,” Sanji mumbled, looking up at Law.  The older man’s face was impossible to read but there was a tightness around his eyes that Sanji found confusing.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Law shook his head and Sanji frowned but didn’t press the issue.  He was still curious, of course, because it was only natural to be, but he told himself that he had to accept that Law might well never tell him _anything_ about his past or his true feelings and he had to be okay with that. 

“You can tell me,” he murmured, because it seemed rude not to, tilting Law’s face up and resting their foreheads together. 

“Suffice to say that I have…self-worth issues and the…idea of feeling any sort of pleasure or happiness is often overridden with guilt,” he said in a low voice and Sanji kissed him in response because _fuck,_ what was he supposed to say to that? 

In all honesty he knew what Law was feeling because it hit a little too close to home, but it wasn’t especially something he wanted to dwell on right at the moment. 

“Don’t think about it,” he mumbled, throwing one leg over Law’s body so that he was straddling him.  He ground down against the man underneath him, Law making a tiny surprised noise into his mouth, but he gripped Sanji’s hips firmly to keep him in place.  “Are we…I mean, is this…”

“I don’t know about you, Mr. Blackleg, but I had assumed neither of us would be wearing clothes during our…activities,” Law murmured, all easy confidence and bravado again, and Sanji stored away that brief moment of earlier vulnerability in his memory because it was doing wonders to humanize Law in his eyes. 

“Yeah?” Sanji stood up, telling himself there was nothing to be embarrassed about as he undid his slacks and dropped them, trying not to be self-conscious when he bent to pick them up and place them beside his discarded shirt. 

Law’s expression hadn’t changed but his eyes flicked down noticeably, a smirk on his lips as he lifted his hips enough to slide his jeans off.  Sanji tried not to stare, but it was hard not to be curious and a quick glance showed him that he was _definitely_ going to enjoy this. 

“Well?” Law leaned back against the sofa, looking a little unsure when Sanji didn’t move right away, but the blond shook his head and stepped closer, climbing on top of Law again. 

“I’ve never…I mean, I’ve never had a steady lover,” Sanji said quietly.  “It’s always been one-night stands.”

“We have something in common, then,” Law grabbed his hips again, pulling him down, and Sanji whimpered when their cocks brushed against each other.  “So there’s no need to be nervous.”

“Right.”

Law shifted so that he was lying back more fully, pulling Sanji on top of him.  “I’m going to trust you know where to go from here,” he murmured. 

Sanji did, of course, and he saw no reason to draw this out any longer, so he braced his hands on Law’s shoulders and started to move. 

000

It was easier than he’d anticipated.  Once the initial awkwardness had worn off and he’d been sufficiently aroused to lose any lingering insecurities he might have had, his body had slotted into a rhythm quickly. 

It had been fast and messy and he was pretty sure he was making a good variety of embarrassing noises, and he felt _good,_ although it was impossible to tell if Law had been having similar thoughts.  He’d been silent the entire time, biting his lip between kisses like he was deep in thought, and the only signs Sanji’d gotten that was even coming at all were his fingers tightening on the cook’s hips and his eyes sliding closed for a few seconds. 

He came down slowly, trying to savor the high as long as he could.  The aquarium was cold, the air making him shiver as it hit his sweat-slick skin, and he curled his body toward Law’s instinctively in an attempt to soak up a little more warmth. 

He knew he had to move, because he was almost completely sure that cuddling wasn’t part of their deal.  He forced himself upright and looked down at Law, who regarded him impassively. 

“Um.  Thanks,” Sanji muttered, feeling awkward again, and Law shrugged one shoulder but didn’t say anything.  “Just…wait a few minutes before you follow me out, okay?  I don’t want it to be _too_ obvious what we’ve been up to,” he laughs softly but when Law didn’t seem amused it trailed off quickly.  Clearing his throat, he climbed off of Law, grimacing at the sticky mess on his stomach.  He walked over to the bar area of the aquarium, grabbing a towel and telling himself he’d wash it later as he wiped himself clean. 

Law didn’t make any noise the entire time he was getting himself presentable again and by the time he was mostly dressed, barefoot and with his tie just hanging loosely around his neck, the older man still seemingly hadn’t moved. 

“So,” Sanji cleared his throat awkwardly, the words finally startling Law into motion as he sat up and glanced at Sanji.  “That was…”

“I’m glad it was satisfactory for you,” Law replied curtly, no trace of warmth in his voice, and Sanji knew that the almost human side to himself he’d shown earlier was once again deeply buried.  It didn’t pay to press him right now but Sanji had to admit it stung a little that Law didn’t even seem affected at _all_ by what had happened. 

“Yeah.  Good,” Sanji pulled out a cigarette and turned to leave, hearing Law shift behind him.  He turned on instinct but Law seemed to not notice, staring forward with a blank expression that was honestly a little frightening. 

Sanji had no idea what it was about, but he was pretty sure it was none of his business. 

It’s not like Law would have talked to him anyway. 

000

He wasn’t quite sure why his post-coital musings had led him to grab a bottle of fairly excellent sake and make his way up to the crow’s nest, but there he was, and it wouldn’t pay to turn back now. 

Zoro, to his surprise, was wide awake and staring out at the calm sea.  His weights were beside him, set down for the moment, and he looked calm and thoughtful. 

“Thought you were gonna be busy doing something important all night,” Zoro grunted without even turning to look at him, and Sanji would have been surprised had he not known how good Zoro’s senses were. 

“Yeah, well, it didn’t take as long as I thought it would,” Sanji covered, rather smoothly if he had to say so himself, and Zoro turned to look at him and grunted.  Sanji knew he looked a mess, hair tousled and clothing wrinkled despite his best efforts.  He hoped the cigarette he still had in his mouth would cover the smell of sex that he was sure was still clinging to him, but since Zoro didn’t look put-off he guessed he was in the clear. 

Or else Zoro would just assume he was jerking off in the bathroom or something, which was still preferable to giving everything away on the first night. 

“Here,” he shoved the bottle over and Zoro took a swig, his eye narrowed suspiciously.  “What?”

“You’re being nice.  And you look like hell.  What happened?” he didn’t sound particularly concerned, but the words were still nice to hear. 

“Nothing.  I haven’t slept yet and I don’t think I’ll be able to,” he decided that was enough of the truth to appease Zoro and thankfully the swordsman let it go. 

Movement from below caught his eye and he looked down through the windows, seeing Law stalk across the deck with his shoulders hunched and that damn sword once again held high over his shoulder.

“What d’you think of him?” Zoro questioned, seemingly not putting it together that Sanji and Law had come from the same place. 

“Luffy trusts him,” Sanji said slowly, taking the bottle back and drinking a bit. 

“Yeah, well, that’s not saying much,” Zoro mumbled, Sanji having to snicker at the truth in that statement.  “I don’t think he’s gonna try anything funny, though.”

“Nah, he wouldn’t get away with it.  Not with all of us on board,” Sanji agreed, passing the bottle back and watching Zoro down about half of it in one long swallow.  “Besides, he needs our help, and I doubt he’s gonna find somebody as willing to give it as Luffy anywhere else around here.”

“Yeah, true enough,” Zoro set the bottle between them, looking at it for a few moments.  It was strange, having this easy camaraderie with Zoro, but for once they weren’t fighting or angry at each other for anything.  He supposed it was proof that they actually _could_ get along should the situation call for it, but Zoro was behaving a lot more normally around him than he had earlier in the day and Sanji was grateful for it. 

They were quiet for a while then, a comfortable silence that seemed to suit the still night and had Sanji fighting back a yawn after a few minutes. 

“I’m okay with it, you know?’ Zoro said out of nowhere, and Sanji blinked at him. 

“What?”

“You…liking me.  Yeah, I’ve had to think about it a lot over the past day…”

“That must have been hard for you,” Sanji couldn’t resist, but instead of getting angry Zoro merely snorted and elbowed him in the side.  “Continue.”

“You’ve liked me for a long time, right?” Zoro asked, utterly serious. 

“Yeah.  I mean, for most of it I didn’t know if that was what it was, but…yeah,” he nodded and Zoro shrugged. 

“So…if you’ve liked me for a long time, and I never noticed until you told me, obviously I didn’t have a problem with it.  You’ve never done anything to cross the line with me, and I might not like _you_ all the time, Cook, but I trust you, and I trust you’re not gonna do anything unless I agree to it,” he jabbed a finger at Sanji’s chest although the words were hardly a threat, and Sanji was inwardly surprised at how quickly he’d come around. 

But then, Zoro was a very practical man, and the explanation he’d given made perfect sense considering how his thought processes worked.  Sanji himself would probably have been going back and forth for days had their positions been reversed, and he supposed he should be thankful that Zoro had seemingly processed everything and deemed it inconsequential so quickly. 

“I still hate you most of the time, though,” he felt he should add, mostly for good measure, and Zoro grinned at him in a rather predatory way.  

“Bullshit.”

“I’ll still kick your face in.”

“Try it, shit-cook,” Zoro replied, a gleam in his eye that told Sanji more than anything that he was just taking the piss, and Sanji rolled his eyes and yawned, feeling the events of the night catching up to him.  “Get some sleep.  I’m not gonna explain to Luffy tomorrow that you were too tired to make breakfast because you were up here all night.”

Sanji nodded and stood, stretching his arms above his head and heading for the exit.  “Yeah.  G’night, Marimo.”

“Thanks for the sake,” Zoro called, Sanji waving his hand in acknowledgment as he made his way back down to the main deck. 

He passed Law on his way to the men’s cabin, the surgeon leaning against the mast in his customary spot with his head bowed and his hat covering his eyes.  Sanji wondered if he was even awake, but he glanced up at the sound of Sanji’s feet shuffling over the grass. 

They stared at each other for a while, neither saying anything, before Law dropped his chin to his chest and promptly ignored Sanji. 

The cook breathed out slowly, entering the cabin as quietly as he could and flopping back on his bunk without any expectation he’d actually get some rest. 

The whole point of the plan was to get closer to Law, at least in theory, and start subtly pulling away from Zoro.  Instead Law was acting like he didn’t exist and that the sex was a chore, and spending time with Zoro was actually calming him down even if the chances of Zoro being more than a crewmate to him were still non-existent at the moment. 

It was all kinds of fucked up, and he wondered why he’d even thought it was a good idea in the first place. 

Because if all it resulted in was sleepless nights, rather unsatisfying sex, and Zoro still not returning his feelings…it obviously wasn’t.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I don’t have a whole lot to say here other than a general thank you for the continued support for this fic! I’m still amazed at how many people are interested in it and I hope it continues to live up to expectations :)
> 
> 2\. I know this update is pretty fast but I was inspired, so don’t expect updates to always be this quick although I’ll try my best to keep them steady.
> 
> 3\. As always, feel free to leave a review/comment if you feel so inclined


	4. Chapter 4

As it turned out, he didn’t sleep.  Morning came with his internal clock telling him to get up and make breakfast, and he dragged himself out of bed and to the galley, impassively regarding Law still sleeping against the mast. 

 _Lucky bastard_ , Sanji thought irritably as he lit a cigarette, _being able to sleep after everything_. 

He yawned and dug through the cabinets, deciding he’d get started on some scones…they still had some frozen berries but their fresh food resources were severely depleted since the feast back at Punk Hazard and he hoped Nami had a stopover planned before they reached Dressrosa. 

They needed to re-supply, at least, and he had a feeling that none of them would say ‘no’ to a few days of down-time to recharge before everything.  His leg still twinged from the confrontation with Vergo, and while Chopper had assured him that it would be okay if he didn’t over-exert himself, he didn’t think rushing back into what was likely to be a fight was the best course of action. 

Getting the ingredients prepared, he got started on the batter, figuring he’d let them cook and then start omelettes or something when it got closer to the time that everybody would be waking up.  By the time he had the scones in the oven and the first pot of coffee brewing, he was exhausted and he wondered if he could nap for an hour or so because he was quite sure he was going to fall asleep on his feet otherwise. 

He sat down at the table and slumped over it, barely getting to close his eyes when the door creaked open.  He should look, really, because if it was Luffy there was a chance he’d eat the raw scone batter or something, but he could barely lift his eyelids.  Luffy would make more noise anyway, he reasoned, and tried to get comfortable on the surface of the table. 

A hand placed gently on his head startled him a little, if only because he wasn’t expecting it, but he forced himself to stay relaxed and just…waited.  He knew who it was now, and while he was surprised, he couldn’t say it was unwelcome even after everything.  

“Did you not sleep last night?”

“Not really,” he sighed, arching his back a little when Law’s hand slid down to his shoulders.  “You didn’t keep your promise, by the way.  That stick is still firmly embedded in your ass,” he grumbled, and Law’s hand stopped for a moment.

“I’m aware.  And I do apologize, but as I said yesterday, I have no experience with having a steady sexual partner,” he clicked his tongue and Sanji grimaced, finally forcing his eyes open. 

“And I told you I didn’t, either, but even I know that it’s kind of fucking rude to just ignore the other person and stare off into space like you just finished doing something you didn’t even like,” he knew his words were harsh but he was _tired,_ dammit, and he had no patience for Law’s vagueness right now.  “It’s not like I’m asking you to cuddle or anything, but don’t treat me like a whore,” he finished, dropping his head back down. 

“That was never my intention,” Law assured him, fingers sliding through Sanji’s hair again.  “And for the record, I did enjoy it.”

Sanji didn’t reply.  The words were nice to hear, maybe, but it would have been far nicer to actually see some proof of it in the moment.  Law moved away then and Sanji figured that meant the conversation was over, but a few seconds later he felt a hand slide under his knees and he squeaked as he was lifted into the air. 

“You’ll hurt your back sleeping like that.  Here,” Law laid him down gently on the bench behind the main table and a moment later Sanji felt warm fabric covering him.  He cracked an eye open to see that it was Law’s coat, and he buried his nose in the fabric and sighed. 

“Wake me up when the oven timer goes off, okay?” he asked, the words trailing off into a yawn, but he was fast asleep before Law even had a chance to answer. 

000

“We need to stop.”

“No,” Law said immediately, his gaze harsh as he glanced around the table.  “We can’t dally.  Dressrosa is…”

“We’re not going to be able to do much without supplies,” Nami overrode him, matching his gaze evenly.  “And I’m sure we’re low.  Right, Sanji-kun?”

“Yeah, that party back at Punk Hazard pretty much wiped out our stores,” Sanji admitted with a shrug.  “We’ve probably got enough to make it to Dressrosa but if we have to get away quick it’s not going to last for long.”

“I used a lot of my medical supplies on the kids, too,” Chopper raised a hoof timidly. 

“And I think we could all use a few days to recuperate,” Robin put in smoothly.  “It wouldn’t do to take on a dangerous mission with any of us at less than full strength.”

“Still, Doflamingo…”

“Do you think he’d try to find us?” Nami asked, brow furrowing a little, and Law eventually sighed and shook his head. 

“No.  Not if he doesn’t know our exact location.  He’ll want to have the advantage, which means we need to come to him,” he admitted, causing the girl to grin triumphantly. 

“Then it’s settled.  I’ll try to dig up a chart of the general area and we can find the nearest island with a town on it,” she stood up, passing her empty plate to Sanji as she made her way out of the galley.  Law was still frowning, glaring down at his own plate, and Luffy clapped him on the back nearly hard enough to make him pitch forward. 

“Shishishishi, don’t worry, Torao!  That bird-guy isn’t going anywhere,” he promised, causing Law to sigh.  

“I’m not worried about that, but we _do_ have a hostage and…”

“He’ll behave himself,” Franky shrugged.  “Not much he can do shackled up the way he is, and it’s not like we’re treating him bad otherwise.”

“He doesn’t deserve better treatment,” Chopper crossed his little arms, glaring.  “Not after what he did to those kids.”

“It’s a shame, isn’t it,” Robin mused, idly circling the rim of her teacup with a slender finger, “that so many talented people choose to use their gifts to hurt others instead of to help.”

Nobody really answered her, everybody preoccupied with their own thoughts on the matter, but when Sanji turned back from the sink he noted that Robin was staring at him rather pointedly.  He knew that she hadn’t been referring to him, of course, but the knowing smile on her lips said that she knew _something_ he probably didn’t want her to. 

And, for as much as he loved Robin, that look still scared him a little. 

000

“Did you enjoy yourselves last night?”

“Whatever could you be referring to, Robin-chan?” he asked, his voice getting markedly higher and giving him away immediately.  She _knew,_ and he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that.  He wasn’t embarrassed, not particularly, and he knew she wouldn’t tell anybody else, but there was so much more to their situation than first glance would show and the idea of explaining it to somebody as worldly as Robin was intimidating. 

“I came into the kitchen to get a glass of water before I turned in for the night,” she started, resting her chin on her hand as she regarded him coolly.  “And I heard…strange noises coming from the elevator shaft. So it was only natural I investigated,” a hand popped out of the table beside her with an eye in the center of it, and Sanji swallowed heavily. 

Fuck.  He’d forgotten that sound would travel up the food service elevator to the galley above, and if anybody was in there they would have been able to hear _everything._ And he knew he hadn’t been quiet. 

“It’s not what you think, Robin-chan…” he started, but that sounded like some sort of weak excuse, and Robin tilted her head to the side. 

“Don’t be ashamed.  He is…very attractive,” she started slowly, and Sanji waited for the hammer to fall because it was coming.  “However, I had assumed you only had eyes for Zoro.”

“You…” he started, before clapping his mouth shut.  Of course.  Hiding anything from Robin was damn near impossible and it didn’t surprise him at all that she’d noticed.  “I do.  Mostly.  But he’s made it clear that he…doesn’t see me that way,” he sighed, because that particular bit of knowledge still stung. 

“And Law?”

“He knows,” Sanji nodded.  “But we _both_ know that anything between us will never be more than physical and we decided there was nothing wrong with…releasing some tension now that we have the opportunity,” he decided that was enough of the truth to appease her, and indeed she smiled softly. 

“Well, as long as there are no secrets between you, I can’t see any harm in it.  I do trust him, for what it’s worth,” she added, and he looked up curiously.  “I feel a sort of…kinship with him, I suppose, and I have an odd feeling that our pasts aren’t that different,” she looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes focused on Sanji again.  “Has he said anything to you?”

“About himself?  Not really,” Sanji went over the fridge, trying to figure out what to make for dinner and how long their supplies would last if Nami didn’t find a nearby island to re-stock at. 

“Well, no matter,” she stood up, starting to walk toward the door.  “Just…be careful, Sanji.”

“Hmm?” Sanji looked back from the fridge.  “I thought…”

“Not of him.  Of yourself,” she glanced over her shoulder.  “You see the good in people, even if nobody else can.  It’s something I admire greatly about you, but I think you may be deluding yourself if you feel you can continue with this…arrangement and not begin to care about him on some level.  I do not know if he would ever feel the same, however,” she tapped her long fingers against the doorframe. 

“Yeah, not much chance of that,” Sanji closed the fridge and leaned back against the counter, wiping his hands off on his dark slacks.  “He’s pretty closed off.”

“I’m sure he has good reason to be,” Robin returned, and Sanji couldn’t argue that.  “As did I.  But if I could come around, it stands to reason he might, too.”

“Maybe,” Sanji wasn’t sure where Robin was going with all of this, other than a roundabout way of warning him that things could get really messy if emotions started getting involved, but he was almost completely sure that wasn’t going to happen. 

“I’ll see you at the evening meal, Sanji,” Robin nodded to him and left, and one of her hands remained to shift a pile of fabric on the bench seat before disappearing in a wave of flower petals. 

It was a rather obvious signal, and Sanji moved across the room to see what she’d been directing him to.  Law’s coat was still on the bench, a reminded of the rather out of character way he’d acted that morning, and Sanji picked it up and curled his fingers into the heavy fabric, frowning. 

It didn’t mean anything.  Law had simply felt guilty for his behavior the night before.  There was nothing deeper to it. 

None of that explained why, after Sanji had gotten dinner into the oven and was letting it bake, he decided to wrap the coat around himself once more while trying to nap for a bit. 

The coat was warm, he told himself as he burrowed down into it. 

That’s all there was to it. 

000

He woke up to the sound of somebody shuffling along the floor.  It was almost like they were trying to be quiet and failing miserably, and the thought that somebody might be stealing food snapped him into awareness immediately. 

“Oi, dinner’s in an hour,” he muttered, blinking away the sleep from his eyes, and Zoro turned to him with his hand reaching for the door to the pantry.   “Get out of here, Marimo.  I gave you a bottle of the best sake I had last night.”

“ ‘m hungry,” Zoro grunted, staring at the door, and Sanji snorted before getting to his feet. 

“Yeah, well, I know you’re not stupid enough to believe you’re gonna find any food where I keep the booze, so try again,” he crossed his arms, stepping forward and nearly tripping. 

Right.  Law’s coat. 

It fit him well enough through the shoulders and body, but Law was a few inches taller than him and it touched his feet so Sanji was damn near walking on it.  It _was_ warm, though, and he didn’t’ feel like taking it off at the moment, so he let the sleeves fall over his hands and decided standing in one spot was the best plan. 

“Fine,” Zoro sighed, leaning against the counter.  “But I could use a snack.”

“Whatever fruit’s left in the bowl is all you’re getting.  We’ve gotta conserve our supplies,” Sanji replied bluntly, aware that he probably looked a little childish standing there in a coat that didn’t fit him, but it seemed Zoro had just clued into that as he blinked at him slowly. 

“Is that Law’s coat?”

“Yeah.  So what?” Sanji shuffled across the floor, careful not to trip over the fabric and face-plant into the planks, and he grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl before throwing it rather carelessly in Zoro’s general direction. 

“Didn’t realize you and he were that close,” Zoro caught the banana, narrowing his eyes, and Sanji tried to hide the smirk that grew on his lips then, although with the high collar of the coat it was pretty easy to duck his chin behind it. 

“Unlike _some_ people I know, he knows the meaning of the word ‘considerate,’” Sanji replied bluntly, although whether that was true or not really remained to be seen.  The way Law had treated him last night was anything but, after all. 

“Whatever,” Zoro decided, shrugging and turning away from Sanji, but the blond could tell that it bothered him and he stored that information away for another time. 

The galley door opened then and Law walked in, looking between them and clearing his throat.  “Your navigator has just informed me that she’s discovered an island that seems to have a port town.  She estimates two days to travel there, which will no doubt put us a good week behind schedule by the time we reach Dressrosa, but I suppose it can’t be helped,” he still looked surly about it, but then his normal expression was a scowl so it was hard to tell if he was _that_ annoyed. 

“Okay.  I think we’ve got enough to last us until then, as long as _somebody,”_ he looked pointedly at Zoro here, “stops trying to sneak food all the time.”

Zoro didn’t say anything, although he did start peeling his banana rather intently, and Sanji looked back toward Law. 

“Do you want your coat back?  I shouldn’t have assumed…”

“I’m the one who left it here,” Law pointed out.  “And I have no need of it at the moment, so feel free to wear it if you wish,” his eyes drifted to Zoro then, a rather unpleasant smirk on his lips, and Zoro stopped eating with the banana halfway in his mouth and blinked in confusion. 

Sanji coughed to hide the laughter that was bubbling up because now he _definitely_ knew what Law was doing and the older man was too damn good at this little game, but Zoro still looked blissfully unaware of its true purpose and for the moment that suited Sanji just fine. 

Law left the room then, looking back once over his shoulder before jamming his hands in his jean pockets and gliding out the door. 

Truthfully, Sanji had no idea how blatant they would have to be before Zoro caught on, but he much preferred this version of Law to the one that he’d seen last night. 

In a way, he was glad that the island they were headed for would add a few days to their travel timeline. 

They might actually have enough time for Zoro to figure it out now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I don’t have a whole lot to say this time around other than that I wish I had some semblance of artistic talent because I rather like the mental image I’m getting of Sanji wearing Law’s coat that’s too big for him, but I have a hard time drawing stick-figures so I don’t see that working out too well…
> 
> 2\. Thanks again for all of the lovely feedback I’ve gotten on this fic! I’m very glad people are still enjoying it :)


	5. Chapter 5

He dropped Law’s coat off later that night, placing it on the bench beside him before he headed off to bed.  Law glanced up, eyes flicking from Sanji to the seat next to him, and Sanji guessed it was some sort of invitation. 

He sat down, leaning back against the mast and lighting a cigarette as he waited for Law to say something. 

It didn’t happen, of course, and when his cigarette was burned down to the filter he stamped it out under his shoe and leaned his head on Law’s shoulder, trying to get some sort of reaction from him. 

Law pressed his nose into Sanji’s hair and sighed, the sound long-suffering and defeated, and Sanji had no idea what it meant but he knew somehow that Law wanted him to stay there. 

“Why did you help me before?” Sanji finally asked when the silence got too stifling.  “In the kitchen, you were trying to make Zoro jealous.”

“I was,” Law admitted, voice low.  “I thought that was the plan.”

“For me it is,” Sanji countered, half-closing his eyes and letting his body relax.  “But when you’re doing it, it makes it seem like you just want to get rid of me.”

Law didn’t reply to that for a long time, but his breathing was harsh and Sanji felt like he’d said something wrong. 

“Law…”

“Don’t,” Law murmured softly, his breath ruffling Sanji’s hair as he breathed out slowly.  “To be honest, I had underestimated Mr. Zoro’s perceptiveness, and now that we have a timeline of how long it will be before we get to Dressrosa that puts a rather definite end date on our…arrangement,” he stated.  There was something cryptic about the words, and Sanji didn’t know if asking would get him anywhere, so he stayed quiet. 

“I told you that I enjoyed last night and I wasn’t lying, but something of this nature cannot be sustained indefinitely and it seems that without a bit of outside influence, Mr. Zoro might never come around,” he finished, and Sanji couldn’t dispute that at all. 

“Why do you care, though?” he asked then.  “I mean, before you said that if Zoro and I ended up….as something more because of this that wasn’t any of your concern, and now you’re trying to help me,” Sanji honestly had no idea what Law would say, or if he’d try to avoid the topic completely, because Law was just fucking confusing. 

“I don’t, particularly, but I understand well enough how…unfulfilling it is to not get something you really want.  I’ve long since accepted that happiness is not something I’m destined for, but I’m hardly heartless, and it’s not taking any real effort on my part to be a little more blatant in front of him,” he sounded honest, at least. 

“So you’re only doing it because it’s not inconveniencing you,” Sanji decided, and yeah, from what he knew of Law that was believable. 

“Precisely,” he murmured, pulling away from Sanji then, and he seemed colder and more closed off than ever now, crossing his arms and pulling his hat down so the brim covered his eyes.  Sanji wasn’t sure _what_ exactly had set him off, because if he couldn’t even ask a simple question without getting the cold shoulder it wasn’t worth it at all. 

“Whatever,” he sighed and stood up.  The next words out of his mouth probably weren’t smart, and they weren’t tactful at all, but Law was being impossible and this whole thing was more stressful than when he’d never told Zoro how he felt.  “Maybe the reason you’re never happy is because you push everybody away.  It’s your own fault,” he strode away, lighting up another cigarette, and wondered briefly if he’d gone too far. 

It was the truth, though. 

Now it was all on Law to prove him wrong. 

000

He slept surprisingly well that night. 

When it came time to start breakfast, he barely spared a glance toward Law, who seemingly hadn’t moved all night. 

It wasn’t his problem, after all, and if Law was going to be nothing but contradictory and infuriating he didn’t have any obligation to deal with it.  He didn’t know how old Law was, exactly, but he was guessing he was at least a few years older than Sanji himself and if by _that_ age he hadn’t learned yet that acting like a fucking statue was a bad way to make friends, he doubted the man would ever get the message. 

Speak of the devil, he thought irritably when he heard the door open, because _of course_ Law would follow him.  Sanji wasn’t sure what he should say, if anything, because he still had no fucking idea why Law had withdrawn the night before and he didn’t sign up to play therapist to Law. 

It was supposed to be about getting off.  That was it. 

“You know, you’re not doing a very good job of convincing me you’re able to hold up your end of the deal here,” he finally stated, frowning when he glanced at the empty fruit bowl.  Damn it, he’d thought that would be safe from Luffy, but apparently in the absence of any of type of snack he’d even willingly eat fruit. 

Their food options would be limited for the day, so he hoped Nami was right when she said the island was close. 

“I assure you, I’m trying, but this is…foreign to me,” Law replied in an even tone, and Sanji rolled his eyes. 

“Look, I’m sick of going around in circles with you.  I’ll figure out my own way to get Zoro interested.  If there’s a brothel at the next island, that’ll work just as well,” he knew he was purposely riling Law up, but hell, even anger would be a preferable emotion to _nothing._

“If you knew what lay in my past, you might not be so quick to judge,” Law’s voice was dark and Sanji whirled around, glaring. 

“But I _don’t_ know, because you won’t fucking _tell me!”_ he snarled, stepping closer to Law and looking up at him.  “You have no idea what the rest of this crew has had to deal with…what _I’ve_ had to deal with…so don’t play that card with me.  I don’t care how shitty your childhood was.  We all had shitty childhoods too, but you don’t see any of us acting holier-than-thou about it,” he was panting now, getting far angrier himself than it seemed Law was, but there was a tightness around the corners of Law’s eyes that told Sanji he was trying to keep it together. 

“Don’t speak so casually of what you cannot possibly know,” Law shifted the sword he always seemed to carry, fingers tightening around the sheath so much his knuckles turned white. 

“What are you gonna do?” Sanji barked a laugh, wondering if he was going mad because he was pushing far too hard but he couldn’t stop.  “Cut me in half?  Is that how you always deal with your problems?” he took another step closer so that he was pressed bodily against Law.  “I’ve told you already: _I’m not afraid of you.”_

Before Sanji could even so much as blink, he found himself lifted into the air and slammed into the wall, Law’s hand fisted in his collar and a Room materializing around them. 

“Do it.” Sanji didn’t try to fight back.  Well, not yet, in any case.  “Unless you’re too much of a coward for that, too.”

Law’s golden eyes flashed dangerously and he growled, but a second later the Room dissipated and he let Sanji drop, spinning around and heading for the door. 

“The only reason you’re not in pieces right now is because I need your crew more than I’m willing to risk your Captain’s wrath,” he said bluntly.  “Remember that I owe you nothing, and you’re nothing more than a warm body to me.”

He left with that, and Sanji balled his hands into fists, muttering a rather restrained “fuck,”that turned into a much louder “ _fuck!”_ that was accompanied by his foot going clean through one of the kitchen cabinets. 

“…fuck,” he sighed, realizing that he didn’t have to worry about Law killing him, because Franky was going to take care of that for what he’d just done to the ship. 

000

Franky, it turned out, didn’t kill him, but he did get a stern lecture about taking his anger out on Zoro instead of the cabinets.  He sulked throughout most of it, smoking more cigarettes than normal and nearly breaking something else when he realized he’d have to ration the remainder if he wanted to have enough to last him until they made landfall. 

He was shooed out of the galley after breakfast so Franky could fix the cabinet, and he found himself leaning over the stern rail, staring at the wake streaming behind the ship and letting the cool sea breeze ruffle his hair. 

“So what was that about?”

“None of your business, Marimo,” Sanji replied, sniffing, but of course Zoro didn’t get the rather obvious hint and instead moved closer.  He leaned on the rail beside Sanji, crossing his elbows and looking like he wasn’t going to move for a while. 

“You never get that angry unless Luffy steals a whole pie or something,” Zoro looked over at him and Sanji shrugged, jamming an unlit cigarette between his lips and resisting the urge to light it. 

“It’s nothing,” he realized belatedly that he was doing the same thing he’d accused Law of doing, but he definitely wasn’t going to tell Zoro because that would blow up the entire plan.  “I’m over it now.”

“Sure,” Zoro sounded completely unconvinced, but he did drop the topic.  He didn’t leave, though, and he shifted from foot-to-foot nervously for a while until Sanji was getting a little irritated with him just hanging around. 

“What do you want?” he asked, not really in the mood to deal with anything else today, and Zoro set his hands on the railing and frowned, apparently psyching himself up for something. 

“What’s it like?” he finally asked, something quiet and a little ashamed in his voice, and Sanji blinked rapidly at him because for the life of him he had _no fucking idea_ what Zoro was referring to. 

“You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific,” he replied, watching Zoro’s face carefully for any hints, and Zoro finally muttered something under his breath before straightening up. 

“Sex.  What’s it like?”

And Sanji was really, _really_ glad that he hadn’t lit the cigarette in his mouth because he probably would have burned the inside of his throat with it.  As it was, he damn near swallowed the thing and spent about half a minute hacking it up and coughing uncontrollably before he regained any sort of composure. 

For once, though, Zoro wasn’t laughing at him or looking like he was going to mock him in any way.  He just seemed…curious, and Sanji thought that it was probably rude to dismiss his question when it was asked so honestly. 

“Please tell me you’ve jerked off at least,” he rasped, voice hoarser than normal after his choking episode.  “There’s not some weird bushido code about denying yourself self-pleasure or anything, is there?”

“Not really.  Or at least, not that I follow,” Zoro shrugged, shoulders dropping a little as he realized that Sanji wasn’t going to make fun of him for the question.  “And yeah, I have.  I guess it feels good, but it’s more, y’know…”

“Cleaning the pipes?” Sanji raised his eyebrow and Zoro nodded quickly.  “Well, feeling good is kind of the point of it.  For me, it just feels better when it’s somebody else touching me,” he swallowed and tried not to conjure up mental images of _Zoro_ being that ‘somebody else’ because it’s not like his plan was working too well at the moment.  “And I…not that I’ve ever experienced this, but I’ve heard that when you truly love somebody, and they feel the same about you, it can be even better.”

“Emotions and shit, right?” Zoro snorted, but the words sounded like a front. 

“I guess.  There’s just something…freeing about being stripped completely bare, and it can be scary, but if you know they’re right there with you it’s not so bad,” he raised a hand to pat Zoro’s shoulder before thinking better of it.  Zoro noticed, of course, and stared at Sanji without blinking until the blond lowered his hand and completed the motion. 

“You can still touch me, you know,” Zoro said then, glancing down at Sanji’s hand.  “I wasn’t lying when I said that I don’t see you any different just because you’ve got a thing for me.”

“I know,” Sanji sighed, removing his hand and deciding not to push his luck.  “But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable…”

“You’re not.  And you’d know if you were,” Zoro pointed out.  Sanji had to concede that, because it wasn’t as if Zoro were shy about telling him exactly what was on his mind.  “So you’ve never…found that connection with anybody?”

“Nah,” Sanji shook his head.  “It’s all been…I mean, I’ve never really _paid_ for sex, but most of the port towns we stopped in, there were enough guys around looking for a fuck that as long as you had a place to go they’d take you up on the offer.  But it’s been a long time since I’ve even had that,” he said quickly, because he still couldn’t give away what was happening with Law. 

Had happened. 

Because the way Law was acting now, he wasn’t sure if he’d get that again. 

“When did you figure out you were into men?” Zoro asked then, and Sanji furrowed his brow and tried to think through that one. 

“I guess, in a way, I’d always known.  I grew up around men, back at the Baratie and even before, and women to me were customers and my job was to please them in whatever way possible but never to demand any pleasure for myself. Some of the guys did, of course, and they traded off going for supply runs so they could get it out of their systems now and then.  The older I got, though, I realized that while I love women, and I think they’re beautiful and if one of them ever _asked_ me I wouldn’t refuse, when I got…hard, most often it wasn’t a woman’s body on the other end of my fantasies.  I didn’t get the chance to…experiment much, since I was by far the youngest person at the restaurant, but the first time it happened was with a customer,” he blushed, then, because it sounded so sordid when he talked about it like that.  “I don’t know what signals I gave off to him, but when he went to use the toilet he cornered me in the back hallway and made his intentions very clear.  He was a couple of years older than me, maybe, and rather handsome, so I agreed.  I don’t know if Zeff ever found out; I was so nervous that he barely touched me before it was over, but after that I knew for sure that I was attracted to guys.”

Zoro didn’t comment, and Sanji wondered if he’d totally freaked him out or something, but when he looked over the swordsman looked completely serious, and he reached to grip Sanji’s elbow before nodding. 

“I guess maybe because I’ve spent so much of my life alone by my own choosing, I just never took the time to figure out things like that,” he decided, patting Sanji’s arm once before he let go.  “Thanks for telling me.”

“Hey, if I can awaken your latent sexual tendencies, at least there’s a chance it might turn out good for me, right?” he grinned, trying to cover the fact that he knew the chances of that happening were still next to zero, and Zoro snorted. 

“Yeah.  In your dreams,” he grinned, and Sanji _had_ to reply to that one because it was too perfect not to. 

“Oh, you don’t even _know_ what happens in my dreams,” he winked, fluttering his fingers at Zoro in a wave as he walked back toward the main part of the ship. 

It didn’t mean Zoro was any closer to coming around, but at least if he was asking questions he was _interested,_ and Sanji would hang onto that knowledge for now. 

000

By the time the evening meal came, Law still wasn’t showing himself.  His absence had been suspicious during breakfast and lunch, but Sanji knew it would look strange for him, normally so adamant about making sure everybody was eating enough, to not be concerned. 

So with Nami’s gentle encouragement (see: threats of bodily harm) he set off to find the other man, unable to come up with a decent excuse as to why he shouldn’t be the one to look for him. 

He found Law in the darkened aquarium, sitting on the bench with his knees pulled to his chest and apparently trying to make himself look as tiny as possible.  It was such a stark contrast to his normal presence that it gave Sanji pause for a moment or two.  He looked worn-out and young, hiding from the world (or from himself, Sanji wasn’t really sure which). 

Before he could convince himself it was a bad idea he walked over to the bench, sitting down beside Law and manoeuvring him gentle so that he was at least uncurled a little, his head resting on Sanji’s thigh while the blond stroked his fingers through Law’s deceptively fluffy hair. 

Law didn’t stir, face relaxed and free from its normal worry lines while he was asleep, and Sanji spoke without knowing if Law could hear him or not. 

“You know you don’t have to tell me anything about yourself,” he said quietly, staring forward.  “But I really wish that you trusted me enough to do it anyway.”

There was complete silence then, the burbling water in the fish tanks the only sound.  Law’s eyes remained closed, but his hand came up to grip Sanji’s knee, fingers curling in and holding tightly enough for it to be an obvious response to Sanji’s words. 

He didn’t know what it meant, or if it meant anything at all, but Law wasn’t running away. 

And that, no matter how small, was something he could still count as a victory. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, I know Law’s being extremely difficult, but the more we learn about his past the more I think he would probably be even more hesitant to open up to anybody than I had originally thought. Although apparently my response to finding out how awful his life has been is to torture him even more emotionally, but well, we always hurt the ones we love, right?  
> 2\. Thanks again for all the lovely comments and reviews! I promise we’ll get back to the smut soon, but there’s more backstory and development going into this fic than I had first thought so please bear with me a bit until these boys figure themselves out :)


	6. Chapter 6

“Do you have watch tonight?”

“Yeah,” Sanji replied, scrubbing some stuck-on food off of one of their dinner plates.  He frowned and worked at it a little harder, finally satisfied that it was clean before he rinsed it off and set it aside.  It was immediately picked up and he looked to the side in surprise, because Law doing _dishes_ wasn’t something he ever thought he’d see. 

“What time?” Law asked, setting the dried dish safely out of the way and reaching for the next one, which Sanji gave to him after a few seconds. 

“You don’t have to help, you know.  You’re a guest.”

“I’m trying to make up for my behavior earlier,” Law stared down at the counter, his hands stilling for a moment.  “I was wrong to try and assume that my situation makes me in some way exceptional or worthy of special treatment.  My past isn’t something I like talking about, perhaps, but it’s also not something that can be used as an excuse for being a poor guest,” he finished drying the dish. 

“It’s fine,” Sanji waved a soapy hand at him.  “I pushed you too far, too, and I did it on purpose, so if anybody needs to apologize it’s me,” he knew that was the truth.  Even though Law was supremely frustrating almost all of the time, that was no excuse for the way he had goaded the other man into attacking him. 

“Still…” Law looked contemplative, tapping his fingers on the countertop before he asked again, “What time is your watch?”

“First one,” Sanji replied automatically, finishing with the last plate.  He handed it over and let the water drain, watching it swirl down the sink.  “Why?”

“I have an idea,” Law had a rather mischievous glint in his eyes and Sanji didn’t know what it meant, but it made heat pool in his stomach and his mouth was suddenly dry.  “I’ll see you later,” the older man set the last dish aside, walking confidently out of the galley, and Sanji decided that right now he wasn’t going to rationalize Law’s abrupt mood change because he had a feeling he was going to enjoy whatever the surgeon had up his sleeve.

000

“You have to promise me one thing.”

“What?” Sanji was sitting ramrod-straight on the bench in the crow’s nest, heart beating rapidly in anticipation. 

“Whatever I’m about to do to you…you never take your eyes off of the ocean.  You’re on watch, after all,” his voice was low and full of sex and promise, and Sanji nodded without speaking.  He had just enough presence of mind to check that the loudspeaker was turned off, because he didn’t want to broadcast their actions to the _entire_ ship, but after that he turned his full attention back to Law. 

“What are you…”

“Eyes on the ocean, Mr. Blackleg,” Law murmured, leaning in to kiss him, and Sanji let himself relax into it.  He felt like he and Law had reached some sort of understanding over the last day, or at least an agreement to not bring up the past and instead focus on…whatever this whole thing was turning out to be.  “Take your pants off.”

Sanji nodded again, seemingly incapable of speech, and undid his pants with shaking fingers before shoving them off, kicking off his shoes for good measure.  He was already half-hard just from the thought of what was to come. 

“Now.  If I ever see your eyes close, I’m stopping, no matter how close you are,” he warned.  “Spread your legs.”

“Law, seriously, what are you…”

Law didn’t answer, instead preferring to lean forward and lick a strip up the length of Sanji’s cock rather deliberately. 

And oh, _fuck,_ that was new.  Blowjobs weren’t something Sanji had _any_ experience with, because normally people wouldn’t do that without getting paid for it, but he’d always wondered and if it already felt this good…

He caught his eyes fluttering closed and stopped himself, forcing them up and out toward the dark, still ocean.  There was nothing to see, not even a land mass in sight to break the monotony of waves, and the moon gave scant little light to see more than a few feet in front of the ship.  

“Good,” Law chuckled darkly, and Sanji heard him fumbling with what sounded like a bottle.  “Keep your eyes up,” he said then before damn near deep-throating the cook without any warning, and Sanji arched his hips toward Law’s mouth, inwardly blessing his flexibility because he could twist his body in the most impossible ways but still keep looking out the window. 

Everything was a jumble of tight, wet heat and suction, and when Law pulled back a little Sanji nearly whined at the loss. 

“Patience, Mr. Blackleg,” Law murmured, pressing a sucking kiss to the head of Sanji’s cock.  “Lift your hips.”

Sanji did so without any prompting, his mind promptly informing him of what the oil was for, and he had to stop himself from grimacing when Law ran one finger along the cleft of his ass, pressing against his opening briefly. 

“Relax for me,” Law whispered, and Sanji forced himself to, feeling Law’s finger slide in and groaning at the intrusion.  It had been far too long since he’d done this, even to himself, and he started panting a little.  He reached up to loosen his tie, gasping in relief when the constricting material fell away from his neck.  “Don’t come until I tell you to,” was Law’s last instruction before he slid his mouth down Sanji’s cock again, finger probing deeper even as he sucked and licked with what seemed to be a good deal of enthusiasm. 

Sanji yelped when Law’s finger pressed against his prostate for the first time, pleasure zinging through his body and leaving his nerves feeling electrified.  His fingers twitched for something to hold onto and Law moved back again, his voice more ragged now. 

“You can grab my hair if you want,” he took the time while he was speaking to add a second finger, curling them and making Sanji cry out again. “But if you do, you have to do all the work.  Fuck my mouth and fuck yourself on my fingers at the same time,” he ordered, his voice perfectly even although the words were damn near filthy, and Sanji nodded shakily.  “Good,” Law kissed the inside of his thigh, a gesture that was unexpected and strangely tender, before he went down on Sanji again. 

The blond arched his back up as much as he could, tilting his neck so he could still see outward, and Law’s free hand came up to brace under his lower back, helping him hold his body upright.  It wasn’t easy to move from that position, but he managed somehow, canting his hips back and forth until he slotted into an easy rhythm. 

Law hummed around his cock, taking him in as deep as Sanji could thrust, and he kept his fingers angled in a way that they brushed against Sanji’s prostate every time he moved backward.  It was overwhelming, sensory overload in the best possible way, and he knew that he wasn’t going to last long. 

“Law…” he gasped, his rhythm becoming jerky and uneven.  “Law, please…I need to…”

Law’s fingernails dug into his back in a clear warning not to come, and Sanji whined but seemed unable to do anything but move even faster, chasing the release that was denied him.  He was gasping for breath, body slick with sweat under his dress shirt, and he could only imagine how debauched he looked with his tie haphazardly undone and his shirt wrinkled, naked from the waist down, but he couldn’t care less. 

He could feel the pressure building, body tensing in an effort to hold off his climax as long as he possibly could. 

“Law…fuck, please, I _can’t,”_ he nearly sobbed, and Law hummed again in what he really fucking hoped was permission because there was no way he could last any longer.  He came with a choked off cry, Law’s fingers deep in his ass and his cock deep down Law’s throat, and it was dirty and hot and _perfect,_

He was shaking when he came down, his chest heaving but his eyes never leaving the ocean, and he moaned when Law’s fingers slipped from his ass, his own breathing ragged when he moved his mouth off of Sanji’s cock and sat there panting.  

Sanji decided in that moment he didn’t care about Law’s damn rules anymore and yanked on his arm, pulling him onto the bench and nearly into his lap and plundering his mouth in a way that was far from gentle.  There was something salty and slightly bitter about the taste of Law’s mouth, and Sanji realized after a moment that he was tasting his own ejaculate because Law had _swallowed_ and that was hotter than it had any right to be. 

He reached down between them, fumbling at Law’s jeans and finally getting his hand inside and Law’s cock out.  He jerked him off quickly, wrapping his other arm around Law’s shoulders and holding him steady. 

Law still didn’t make any noise the entire time, but he pressed up into Sanji’s hand and it took him a surprisingly short time to finish, which Sanji could only assume meant he’d already been extremely turned on before they’d started. 

That much was encouraging, at least, because even if Law’s face wouldn’t give away how he was feeling, his body couldn’t lie.  He came with a full-body shudder and an almost surprised-sounding groan that tapered off into a breath.  Sanji tried to keep his cum from staining their clothes, and mostly succeeded, and on an utter whim he pulled away from Law’s mouth and raised his soiled hand to his lips, licking his fingers clean. 

He kept his eyes on Law the entire time now, and Law’s own eyes were nearly black, rimmed with gold that almost seemed to glow.  Sanji let his hand drop once it was clean, Law catching his lips in a last kiss before he pulled back. 

“Holy shit,” Sanji grinned, unable to stop the smile that stretched across his face.  “Wow.”

“Am I forgiven now?” Law asked, not really smiling, but he didn’t look at detached as the last time. 

“More than,” Sanji assured him.  “But, um, let me get my pants on.  And then I need a fucking cigarette,” he was still sweat-soaked and it was bound to get uncomfortable soon, but his watch was almost over now and soon he’d be able to change his clothes, at least. 

“Good,” Law leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth, pulling away and tucking himself back into his jeans.  “Shall I meet you downstairs?”

The fact that Law didn’t want to head to bed right away shocked him a little, but he wasn’t going to turn down a rare chance to have an actual friendly conversation with him, so he nodded. 

He gave himself a few minutes after Law left to collect his thoughts, leaning his head back against the bench and only realizing when the hatch opened that he probably looked a mess. 

It was Robin, thankfully, and she glanced at him once before hiding a smile behind her hand.  “All clear?” she asked, her tone completely even. 

Sanji blushed and stood up, trying in vain to smooth out some of the wrinkles in his clothing.  “Ah.  Yes  I assure you, Robin-chan, I didn’t neglect my duties.”

“Hmm,” she didn’t look anything but amused so he felt a little better for it.  “Have you gotten anything from him yet?”

“Not really,” he admitted, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.  “But we, ah, I think we’re okay now despite that,” he stuck his hands in his pockets and she nodded slowly. 

“That’s good to hear, then.  Good night, Sanji,” she patted his shoulder on the way by and he smiled after her before making his own way down to the main deck. 

000

“You remind me of him.”

“Hmm?” Sanji took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew a few thoughtless smoke rings into the air.  Law had met him out by the stern rail, away from prying eyes.  The cook had decided getting fully re-dressed wasn’t worth it and had opted for a simple t-shirt and jeans, a far cry from his normal attire but comfortable for the situation.  Law was similarly dressed, and without his hat and sword it never failed to amaze Sanji how human he could truly look. 

“The man who saved my life.  He was blond, and he smoked constantly, and he pretended to care about people an awful lot less than he actually did.  Maybe that’s why I took to you so quickly,” he leaned on the railing and stared out at the water. 

“What…I mean, if you want to talk about it…” Sanji backtracked, because so far pushing Law to say anything had only ended badly but he seemed calm enough at the moment. 

“He was killed,” Law replied shortly, closing his eyes.  “It was probably my fault, in the end, but regardless…” he sighed and shook his head. “I hated him at first.  I tried to kill him with a knife, but…”

“No shit,” Sanji chuckled, because while Law’s words weren’t funny, the situation was.  “I tried to stab the old guy that saved my life, too.”

Law looked to the side then, eyes narrowing.  “Now there’s an odd coincidence.  How old were you?”

“Ten.  Why?” Sanji thought that was an odd question but Law only half-smiled at him and he barked a laugh.  “Seriously?”

“Mm.  Perhaps we have a _lot_ more in common than I’d first anticipated,” Law tapped his fingers on the rail.  “Regardless, I can’t help but think of him when I smell cigarette smoke.”

“Is that…a good or a bad thing?” Sanji asked, because it was hard to tell, and Law sighed and looked at Sanji rather seriously. 

“Good.  I believe.  It…thinking about him is painful, of course, but he was somebody that I cared about more than anybody in the world, and a reminder of that isn’t negative,” he replied, Sanji feeling a little better about his near-constant smoking because of it. 

“What was his name?” Sanji asked, quietly, wondering if Law was willing to offer up that much. 

“I knew him as Corazon.  He was Doflamingo’s brother, but they were nothing alike,” he hunched his shoulders and Sanji tried to connect all the dots, because he was sure they were there now, and if he…

“Heart,” he murmured to himself, and suddenly it all made sense.  “Back at Punk Hazard, those guys talked about the Heart Seat,” he realized.  “So this guy…”

“Used to hold that position, yes,” Law nodded. 

“And you hate Doflamingo so much because he’s the one who killed Corazon.  Right?” he asked softly, and Law breathed out slowly, wrapping his arms around himself and clutching at his shoulders.

So that was it, Sanji mused, and yeah, he could understand why Law was so closed off and so seemingly hell-bent on anything that would cause trouble for Doflamingo.  It also explained the tattoos, and Sanji reached out to trace the bottom of the heart visible under Law’s short sleeves, not sure if he should offer more comfort. 

“Thank you.  For telling me,” he added, and Law shrugged. 

“I suppose it would come out sooner or later.  But while he was the….last person I loved to be so cruelly taken from me, he wasn’t the first,” his expression grew dark again and Sanji knew that he wasn’t up to revealing anything else at the moment, but the words themselves were cryptic enough that Sanji decided to take a risk.

He wrapped his arm around Law’s shoulders in a loose embrace, raising himself up enough to rest his forehead against Law’s temple, and Law leaned into him with his own arm snug around Sanji’s waist. 

They stood there like that for a while, until Law let go of him and moved away.  “You should rest.  I know you always get up far too early to make enough food for your crew,” he noted, but there was something less haunted about the look in his eyes now and Sanji figured that meant he’d done _something_ right. 

“Yeah.  Good night, then,” Sanji nodded to him and turned away, heading back to the men’s cabin. 

Law had given him a lot to think about tonight, certainly, but none of it was outright bad and the fact that he had opened up at least a little was encouraging. 

000

“Where were you?”

“You’re keeping tabs on my every move now, Marimo?” Sanji asked, glancing into the shadows and seeing a darker patch that could only be Zoro. 

“I know your watch ended a long time ago.  And I know you came in here and changed clothes before heading back out.  You’ve been acting shady for a few days now, Cook, and I don’t like it,” Zoro grunted, still nothing more than a figure in the darkness, and Sanji flicked his lighter on to at least see the other man’s face. 

He looked serious, though, and Sanji rolled his eyes inwardly at that.  Trust Zoro to completely miss the point. 

“You’re right,” he shrugged, tapping his toes against the wooden floor.  “I’m working with Caesar.  When the time is right, I’m going to free him and he’ll use his power to fly us away so he can keep experimenting on children,” he intoned, and Zoro blinked at him. 

“You…”

“It was a joke, dumbass.  I’m not doing anything other than being a good host, because if you haven’t noticed, our crew’s increased by almost half and I need to accommodate even more people now when I plan my meals,” he thought that was actually a decent excuse, all things considered, and Zoro shrugged and let it go. 

“I didn’t think you were serious,” Zoro said a few seconds later, and Sanji snorted at that.  “I mean it.  I know you’d never do anything that would cause harm to innocent people.  You’re not like that.”

Sanji opened his mouth to reply but he _couldn’t_ because that was a compliment no matter how he tried to spin it, and he wasn’t used to that from Zoro. 

“You’re right.  I wouldn’t,” he finally said, and Zoro shrugged and leaned back against the wall. 

“Well, whatever,” he decided, leading Sanji to believe the conversation was over, but he found that by the time he’d gotten to his bunk he wasn’t tired in the least. 

Law had opened up in a pretty major way and Sanji had just…left him to go to sleep alone on the deck.  It didn’t feel right, no matter how aloof Law tried to be, and he hesitated a few moments longer before tugging the blanket off of his bed and heading back out. 

“Where are you going _now?_ You’re not going to the kitchen with a blanket,” Zoro called, and Sanji turned around and smirked, flicking his lighter back on so Zoro could see him. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Marimo,” he murmured, sliding a hand up his body so his fingertips caught the hem of his shirt, pulling it up a little, and he didn’t miss the way Zoro’s eyes flickered to the bared skin of his stomach before he grunted and turned away again.

So.  Zoro wasn’t impervious to teasing after all. 

That was good to know.

000

“Come on,” he kicked at Law’s leg and the other man glared up at him before registering who it was.  His face softened a little then, although he did look confused. 

“Dare I ask?”

“I feel like a fucking jerk for letting you spill your secrets and then leaving you out here all night.  So come on,” he turned around and headed into the aquarium, looking back over his shoulder once he’d entered and not being _that_ surprised when he saw Law slowly following him.  

“Mr. Blackleg, this is truly unnecessary…”

“Don’t want to hear it,” Sanji pointed to the bench and Law sighed, but he did go to lie down, and Sanji took advantage of his good nature to crawl on top of him and pull the blanket over them both.  It wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, certainly, but it was less public than the men’s bunk and Sanji got up early enough that the chances anybody would walk in on them were slim. 

Law’s hands were idly tracing up and down his back once he got settled, the touches hesitant and light.  He was staring straight up at the ceiling, something tight in his expression, and Sanji knew he was probably feeling guilty for…something again. 

“Hey,” Sanji murmured, pushing himself up and leaning to kiss the other man gently.  “Go to sleep.  Stop thinking so hard.”

“That may prove to be impossible,” Law chuckled softly but he did indeed settle down, eyes closing, and Sanji tucked his head into the crook of Law’s shoulder and smiled to himself. 

He still didn’t know what the fuck he was doing, really, or how this entire situation was going to turn out because it seemed to be getting more complicated by the day. 

Right now, though, he was comfortable and happy, and he was at least doing _something_ to help Law even if it wasn’t that huge in the grand scheme of things. 

And that was enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Not only was this a fast update for me, but it was a fast update with smut so I hope that pleased some of you :)
> 
> 2\. That’s about all I have to say this time around, other than that for those of you asking if more of Law’s past will be addressed in this fic, it definitely will be, especially as we keep learning more about it in the manga. 
> 
> 3\. Thank you all again for the lovely feedback I’ve been getting on this fic, and I’m glad people are still enjoying it!


	7. Chapter 7

Sanji came back to consciousness slowly, warm and comfortable, but there wasn’t any urgency because he knew he was so used to waking up early that he didn’t consider things would be any different that morning. 

He raised himself up a little, lifting his hands to cup Law’s face and staring down at him.  His feelings toward Law were…confusing, certainly, although after last night they were starting to make at least a little more sense. 

Law had suddenly become a lot more human, and Sanji admittedly had a weak spot for people that needed help.  He felt protective of everybody on the crew just on the basis of what they all had needed to survive to simply get to where they were, and Law’s past seemed…darker than most, even if Sanji didn’t yet know the full extent of it. 

Part of him felt exceedingly guilty, however, for the way he had snapped at Law because he was fast coming to learn that the older man wasn’t exaggerating when he said that Sanji had no idea what his past had been like.  Still, he thought they were in an okay place now, as long as he didn’t stick his foot in his mouth again. 

The bottom line, he supposed, was that he liked Law a lot as a person, and he felt a sort of kinship with him because they really weren’t all _that_ different even if Law was a much darker version of himself.  And he was gorgeous, but anybody could see that.  So maybe he did care about Law, but it didn’t go any farther than that, and he doubted in the end they’d have enough time together for it to get a chance to.

…which was, ultimately, okay with him, especially since he still wasn’t completely discounting the possibility of Zoro coming around and there was no need to make this messier than it already was. 

He was still staring at Law’s face, lost in his thoughts as he stroked his fingers idly along the other man’s cheekbones and through the hair at his temples, and when he felt a hand on his back he nearly jumped out of his skin. 

“There you are.”

“N-Nami-swan?” he squeaked, the sound seemingly waking Law up as he grimaced and opened his eyes.  “Th-this isn’t what it looks like…”

“It’s okay,” she whispered, patting his shoulder.  “Robin told me I might find you two…together.  It’s almost noon.”

“Shit,” Sanji started to get up but she shook her head, and he settled down again.  Law was completely still underneath him, fingers curled into the fabric of Sanji’s shirt.  “Forgive me, my dear, I’ll have brunch…”

“We’ll be at the island in less than an hour,” she overrode him and he turned his head so he could look up at her.  “I found some muffins in the freezer and set Luffy on those, so even he should be able to make it until we dock,” she explained, and he was grateful for that. 

Still, it wasn’t like him to sleep so far past his usual time, but obviously that meant his body needed it.  Maybe a few days off to just rest would be good, after all. 

“Thank you, Nami-swan,” he finally managed to say.  “I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

“I can handle him,” she assured Sanji, getting to her feet and setting her hands on her hips.  “Still, this is useful…”

“Miss Nami, I would…” Law started and she waved a hand at him. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to blab.  It’s none of their business, anyway,” she crossed her arms and gave them a pointed look, and Sanji believed her.  Yes, Nami knew when to use certain pieces of information to her advantage, but she’d never be outright cruel to anybody that was part of the crew or close to them.  “I was _going_ to ask if I can assume you two will be okay sharing a room at whatever lodgings we find,” she raised an eyebrow and Sanji looked down at Law, who shrugged. 

“Yeah.  That’s fine,” Sanji replied, his throat dry, and Nami beamed at them. 

“Good!  That’ll help out our funds a little.  Oh, but muffins can only keep Luffy amused for so long, so I’d suggest you two get up and get ready to disembark unless you want somebody else stumbling in here,” she advised, turning smartly and heading out of the aquarium. 

Sanji sighed and sat up properly, glancing back when Law tugged on his collar.  “Wha-mmm…” he broke off as Law kissed him, and it was maybe a little unexpected but he was coming to almost anticipate that with Law by now.  “You’re okay sharing a room?”

“Having a real bed will make everything much easier, wouldn’t you agree?” Law asked, something rather coy about the tilt of his head and the look in his eyes.  “And well, if Mr. Zoro is still blissfully unaware as to the…state of our relationship, I doubt he’ll be able to mistake what two of us in the same bedroom will mean…”

“Yeah, that should be obvious even to him,” Sanji agreed, but part of him couldn’t help but feel like Law had only added in the part about Zoro as an afterthought, which meant that he _wanted_ to share a bed with Sanji.

Or, at least, that’s what it sounded like. 

“Don’t misunderstand me,” Law seemed to be reading his mind and he smirked at Sanji, reaching up to whisper in his ear, “I told you: I just want to fuck you.”

Sanji groaned quietly, feeling his cock twitch at the words, but now was _not the time_ and he could tell by the look on Law’s face that he knew _exactly_ what effect his words were having. 

“You’ll get your chance,” Sanji promised, because he was rather looking forward to it, too, and he leaned to kiss Law again, forcing himself to pull back rather quickly because he had a feeling it would be easy to let it go too far again. 

He pushed himself upright, stretching his back out and lifting his arms over his head before dropping to the ground in a back-bend, groaning as his muscles stretched out a little.  He wasn’t used to sleeping that long, and especially not lying half on top of somebody, but when he pushed himself upright again he saw Law regarding him curiously. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” Law shook his head.  “You’re very flexible.  That could prove…useful,” he mused, and Sanji tried not to imagine what he could possibly mean because last night had shown him that Law was fairly…inventive when it came down to it. 

“We’ll see,” he turned around and left the aquarium, pleased to see an island already in view, and decided that he probably had time for a quick shower and a change of clothes before they docked. 

And then, he grimaced, he had a _lot_ of shopping to do.

000

He made Zoro come with him to be his packmule, but it still took all afternoon by the time he felt they had enough supplies to make it to Dressrosa (and enough to last them if they had to leave quickly without being able to re-supply there).

By the time they’d put everything away it was nearing dinnertime, and Sanji had seen a few restaurants along the way that looked interesting.  The town itself was a typical port town, catering to both locals and travelers, and there were ample amenities for even a pirate crew needing to take a few days off. 

He decided to eat dinner somewhere along the way before meeting up with the rest of the crew, and a cursory invitation to Zoro was surprisingly accepted, so he set off with the swordsman in tow and chose a place that was relatively busy but not so full that they’d have to wait for a table.

“You didn’t have to come along,” Sanji said once they were seated and he’d ordered a glass of wine (Zoro had, predictably, told them to bring him whatever the darkest beer they had was, and he looked at least moderately satisfied with the almost black house brew that was set in front of him).  The menu was primarily seafood-heavy, as expected, so he decided on the cioppino since it would offer the most variety as far as the local fare was concerned. 

“What’s that?” Zoro leaned over, glancing at his menu, and Sanji sniffed but didn’t bother moving away. 

“It’s basically a seafood stew, or at least I suppose that’s what an uneducated lout would term it,” he replied, earning himself a kick from Zoro under the table, but the swordsman was grinning and Sanji couldn’t help but smile back.  “You’re going to need more to sustain you, though, so order the pasta,” he pointed and Zoro read the menu description over, frowning a little.

“I’m going to like it, right?  You’re not trying to trick me?”

“Come on, Marimo, you know that I _never_ joke about food,” Sanji leaned back, crossing his legs and swirling the wine around in his glass. 

“Yeah, I know,” Zoro scratched the back of his neck, and when their waiter came over he did indeed order the pasta.  “So.  Um, I talked to Law today,” he started after the man had left, and Sanji blinked but tried not to let any emotion show on his face. 

“What for?”

“I asked him about…you know…” Zoro swallowed and lowered his voice.  “…sex.”

And Sanji was, again, glad he had nothing in his mouth at the time because he would have spit the wine halfway across the restaurant.  He coughed to cover his shock and cleared his throat, setting the glass down before he could spill it accidentally.  “Why _Law?”_ he questioned, trying to make it sound like he thought the idea was unappealing, and Zoro shrugged. 

“Well, he’s a doctor, and I’m not gonna ask Chopper because the kid shouldn’t even _know_ about sex yet, plus he’s…”

“A talking reindeer. Yeah,” Sanji grinned.

“Anyway, I figured Law would know the best because, well, a guy that looks like him…” he stopped talking and glanced down, seemingly suddenly very interested in the tablecloth. 

“Didn’t think you looked at guys that way,” Sanji mentioned, rather coyly, and Zoro flushed a little in obvious embarrassment.  

“I don’t,” Zoro, predictably, denied it, but Sanji could see right through him.  “I mean, I’m not blind, Cook.  I can tell when a guy’s attractive, but that doesn’t mean I want to sleep with them.”

And _that_ Sanji believed, because Zoro really didn’t seem to want to sleep with _anybody,_ and while Sanji didn’t understand that, he respected it. 

“So.  Did you find out what you wanted to know?” Sanji asked, figuring it was safe to pick up the wine again, and Zoro sighed. 

“Yeah.  Well, mostly, but…” he wrinkled his nose and Sanji chuckled to himself because he could just imagine how Law would have explained things, and it probably didn’t make it sound appealing. 

“It’s not something that can be fully understood without a…practical demonstration,” Sanji replied, lowering his voice and looking intently at Zoro, who gulped down about half of his beer and stared at him. 

“You…”

“Of course.  If you want,” Sanji set the wine glass back down, looking directly at Zoro.  “But not because you pity me or you’re doing it _just_ to learn.  I’m not that easy,” he grinned and Zoro half-smiled, looking a little more at ease. 

“Didn’t think you were,” he said, sounding completely honest.  “And, I mean, I’d never do that to you.  I know that you…how you feel about me, and I’d be a total bastard if I took advantage of that just to get some experience,” he continued, his gaze never leaving Sanji’s face, and Sanji was floored for a few seconds because Zoro was continuing to surprise him and he wondered if the other man had always been so...considerate, or if he was just being more careful now that he knew Sanji’s feelings. 

Whatever the reason, it was a side of him Sanji had never had directed toward him, and he almost wished it wasn’t now because convincing himself that he truly disliked Zoro was really hard when Zoro was being almost nice to him. 

“So what’s this, then?” he cleared his throat and gestured.  “You didn’t have to come with me…”

“I know.  But honestly, I wanted to see if it was even possible for the two of us to go a couple of hours without fighting,” he smirked then and Sanji took another sip of wine, smiling back.  He and Zoro might be fundamentally different, sure, but they valued a lot of the same things in other people.  They also knew exactly what it took to rile each other up, which more than anything else convinced Sanji that most of the time even Zoro was doing it on purpose. 

Fighting with Zoro was fun, though, so he couldn’t say that he minded too much. 

Their food came then, and Sanji was suitably impressed by the freshness of the seafood and the selection of herbs in the dish.  Zoro, predictably, mowed through his meal like he was hardly tasting it, but Sanji had known him long enough to tell that he was actually enjoying his food. 

And if tonight had proved nothing else, at least Sanji knew now that they _could_ spend a couple of hours together without fighting. 

Although, truth be told, he’d always known it.

000

The walk back to the inn was mostly quiet, Sanji smoking thoughtfully and Zoro stalking along glaring murderously at the ground, because apparently he hadn’t realized how much money good food actually cost.  Sanji had offered to pay the bill, because he’d been able to barter for a number of their supplies and had ample money left from the allowance Nami had given him, but Zoro had insisted he could pay for his own food and so Sanji had left it at that.  

If one of them had completely taken care of the bill it might feel too much like a date, after all, and Sanji knew they weren’t close to _that_ yet. 

The inn was homey, quaint and well-kept, and they stopped in the lobby as Zoro shuffled his feet before asking, “What room are you in?”

“Why?” Sanji tilted his head to the side, because Zoro typically didn’t care about things like that. 

“Well, that witch stuck me with Franky and Brook, so they’ll probably be up all night telling fart jokes,” Zoro grimaced.  “Which means Luffy, Usopp and Chopper’ve got the other room, and they’re not gonna be any quieter.  And you’re not with the girls, obviously,” he leered and Sanji kicked his ankle gently, although he told himself it was mostly because Zoro had called Nami a witch and not the jab at his…preference for bed-partners.  He knew by now that Zoro didn’t care, but it wouldn’t be like him at all to not rub it in now and again. 

“Sorry, Marimo, you’ll have to deal with Franky and Brook’s bodily functions by yourself.  I’m staying with Law,” he said it casually but he could see Zoro’s eye narrow suspiciously, the other man’s hand coming to grip his shoulder. 

He looked like he was about to speak, finger digging into Sanji’s suit jacket, but eventually he let go and stepped back with a sigh.  “Whatever.  It’s not like you’re gonna tell me what’s going on with him, anyway.”

“Nothing’s ‘going on,’” Sanji scoffed.  “I just know he’s going to be a quiet roommate.  Unlike yours,” he patted the top of Zoro’s head before turning away.  “Have fun, Zoro!” he sing-songed, heading up the stairs, and hell, if Zoro wasn’t suspicious _now_ there really was no hope for him. 

000

“And you survived without causing damage to the restaurant,” Law looked vaguely impressed. 

Sanji shrugged off his jacket, undoing his tie and placing it over a chair.  The room was well-appointed, with a large bed and couch, a desk in the corner and a small attached bathroom that had perfectly acceptable amenities.  He knew he was spoiled getting to live with Franky’s plumbing on the ship, but this was hardly primitive. 

“We’re not _that_ volatile,” Sanji unclasped a few of the buttons on his shirt, sinking down onto the bed.  Zoro had been treading more carefully around him since Sanji had blabbed out his feelings that night, but instead of it being awkward they’d apparently found some sort of strange equilibrium.  It might not have been what Zoro intended, but it was _much_ easier for Sanji to justify his feelings when he knew they at least weren’t totally incompatible. 

He still wasn’t sure if it was love, or if he’d just convinced himself that it had to be, but the desire to be _something_ far more than friends with Zoro hadn’t dimmed in the slightest.  And now that the swordsman was apparently voluntarily learning about sex, well…

“What did you tell him, anyway?” he realized after saying it that he was probably being too vague, but Law merely smirked

“About sex between men?  The basics.  I tried not to scare him off,” Law promised, and Sanji figured that was all the detail he was going to get. 

“He told me that he thinks you’re hot,” Sanji rubbed his hands over his eyes, and when he looked up again Law was looking a little shocked.  “What?”

“Nothing,” Law shook his head.  “He simply doesn’t strike me as somebody that would pay much attention to that.”

“I’m not sure he does, normally, but you…” Sanji swallowed and sat up, reaching out his hand, and Law moved closer slowly.  “You’re fucking…” he sighed, pulling at Law’s wrist so he half-fell onto the bed and wrapping his arms around the other man’s neck.  “You’re _really_ fucking attractive, okay?”

Law looked…guilty, of all things, and Sanji wondered if he could even accept a compliment without somehow feeling like he didn’t deserve it.  He was so different from Zoro that way, because while both of them had an air of bravado that intimidated most people they came across, Zoro’s was mostly real while it was becoming more and more apparent that Law’s was a carefully constructed front. 

“So are you,” Law said after a few moments of silence, leaning down, and Sanji felt his breath hitch before they kissed because he knew this wasn’t part of the deal. 

It wasn’t casual, it wasn’t for comfort, and this time it wasn’t even sexual.  Law was kissing him because he _wanted_ to and that was a surprise in itself, although certainly not an unwelcome one. 

“Are you okay with this?” Law pulled back to ask, and Sanji thought absently that maybe he shouldn’t be but…fuck it, it felt good, and he knew both of them still knew better than to think this was anything other than temporary.  He must have taken too long to answer, though, because Law huffed an annoyed-sounding breath and started to move away. 

Sanji threw a leg over his waist, trapping him there, and moved his hands to grab Law’s face so he could force the other man to meet his eyes.  “It’s okay,” he promised, “I want to.”

“You’re certain?” Law didn’t look convinced, but he stopped trying to get away and leaned a little closer. 

“Yeah,” he nodded firmly, pulling Law down again and telling himself to stop thinking so much. 

Because this was easy.  And there was no reason it shouldn’t be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really have much to say here other than to thank you all for continuing to read and comment on this fic, because it means a lot as a to know people enjoy my writing :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note that this chapter does include major spoilers for Law's backstory, so if you haven't read chapters 761 onward of One Piece yet you may want to avoid this...

“…Fuck.”

“What’s the matter?” Law asked, sounding half-asleep, and Sanji patted at his shirt pocket and sighed when the search came up fruitless. 

“My lighter.  I must’ve left it in my suit jacket,” he glanced over at the chair the offending article was draped over, but he couldn’t be bothered to move. 

And besides, Law was kind of curled up in his lap, so he didn’t want to disturb him. 

At least, that’s what he’d tell himself. 

“Give me a cigarette,” Law waved a hand and Sanji pulled a spare one out, passing it over.  Law raised his free arm and made a Room, and a second later he had the lighter in his hand.  “Here.”

“Seriously, is there anything that power of yours _can’t_ do?” Sanji lit up gratefully and sighed, leaning back against the headboard.  “I mean, you can use it to warp, you can make people switch bodies, you can fucking cut diseases out of people…”

“Mm, it has its limitations,” Law murmured, shifting so that he could mostly look up at Sanji.  “For instance, it’s entirely dependent on my stamina. Creating and maintaining a Room of a decent size uses up energy, and if I get too exhausted my power is useless.  Plus, it doesn’t impart medical knowledge, so most people wouldn’t be able to harness its true potential unless they were a trained doctor beforehand,” he explained, more talkative than normal in the relative privacy of their hotel room.

They hadn’t done much more than make out, not really, but Sanji found that he really didn’t mind because he was far too tired from shopping all day to do more than that anyway. 

“Still, it seems like for you it’s a pretty damn good fit,” he noted, and Law nodded slowly.

“It is, I suppose,” he conceded.  “I probably wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for the powers it afforded me, but on the other hand…well, if I were to use it to its full potential, I certainly wouldn’t be alive,” his voice changed, then, sounding far too foreboding, and it made Sanji shiver. 

“What…”

“Its ultimate power is granting immortality,” Law intoned, and Sanji was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open after that one because he hadn’t even realized that was _possible.  “_ But to do so, the user must forfeit their own life.”

“Holy shit,” he breathed out, frowning.  “Who would…”

“I’m sure it’s been done,” Law continued, “or else that particular power wouldn’t be knowledge anybody would possess, but as to who reaped the benefits of it, I don’t know.  It’s always seemed a little too meddlesome for me, however,” he kept his tone light, seemingly unbothered by that piece of knowledge. 

“Too much like playing God?” Sanji questioned, and Law nodded.

“I’m not sure I believe in God, but yes, in a way.  We’re not meant to live forever, and even though as a doctor I do my best to preserve life I realize that the power to grant eternal youth flies in the face of the natural order of the world, and I don’t particularly feel that it’s a power anybody should have,” he looked far more serious now. 

Sanji ran his hands through Law’s hair, watching him half-close his eyes in obvious enjoyment, before he spoke.  “Well, at least if you have it and you aren’t gonna use it, that means nobody bad can get it.”

“That’s certainly one way to look at it,” Law sat up, stretching his arms over his head.  “Well, it’s getting rather late, and if I know your crew they’ll find some way to wake us up in the morning.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much a given,” Sanji finished off the cigarette, throwing the butt into a cup on the nightstand.  “I’m gonna hit the washroom, unless you need it…”

“Go ahead,” Law finally moved off of him, standing up and padding over to the window, so Sanji grabbed some clothes more suitable for sleeping in and headed into the small ensuite.  He got changed quickly, splashing some water onto his face and deciding he’d shower in the morning before heading back into the bedroom. 

Law was nowhere to be found, and Sanji got anxious for a moment before he spotted the balcony doors ajar and walked out onto the small terrace.  The night was warm, the air humid yet pleasant after the extreme cold of Punk Hazard, and Law was staring out toward the sea with an unreadable expression on his face. 

“Hey,” Sanji whispered, feeling the need to speak quietly for some reason.  “Come to bed,” he urged, tugging at Law’s hand, and to his surprise the other man came without so much as a word, closing the door behind him and crawling under the covers. 

Sanji got in the other side, lying with his back to Law and curling up because everything had gotten awkward surprisingly quickly but sharing a bed was far different than just lying on a couch together. 

He could tell pretty quickly that Law wasn’t comfortable either, because he kept shifting, and finally he heaved a rather defeated sigh and Sanji felt him move closer. 

Reaching back, he grabbed Law’s wrist and slung it over his waist, shifting back so their bodies were flush. 

Law didn’t say anything, but he did stop moving around and relaxed against Sanji, breathing evening out almost instantly.  Sanji smiled to himself, knowing that it wouldn’t take him long to fall asleep either now that both of them were comfortable. 

He was right.

000

He found Zoro outside the next morning, leaning against a palm tree on the nearby beach and snoring quietly.  Sanji absently kicked at the other man’s boot, cradling a cup of coffee in his hands and wearing a baggy sweatshirt that, yes, belonged to Law, but he wanted to make a statement. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked once Zoro had yawned himself awake, and the other man blinked at him. 

“Not with them.  I think they were trying to compose the world’s first song using only farts and burps,” he grunted.  Sanji chuckled and sat down beside him drawing his knees up to his chest and passing the coffee over after a moment. 

“It doesn’t have rum in it, but I figure it’ll do,” he murmured, and Zoro took a sip without complaining.  “I’d offer to have you sleep in our room, but there’s only one bed.”

“You’re fucking him, aren’t you?”

Sanji took the cup back and tried to gather his thoughts, because yes, they were being obvious as all hell, but he didn’t think Zoro would be _that_ blunt about it. 

“What gave you that idea?”

“Don’t play dumb, Cook,” Zoro grunted.  “You’re sleeping in the same bed and wearing his clothes, and the other night you were sneaking around with blankets and I know damn well he was the only person out on deck.”

Zoro didn’t sound angry or anything, just kind of insulted, and Sanji wasn’t sure what to say. 

“I’m not,” he decided on eventually.  “I mean yes, we’ve…fooled around, but it hasn’t gone as far as…”

“Anal penetration?” Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow, and Sanji snorted.

“Oh, God.  Is that what he called it?”

Zoro’s grin was answer enough and Sanji had to roll his eyes because yeah, he should have guessed Law would phrase it like that. 

“Why?” Zoro asked then, and Sanji shrugged. 

“Why not?  You said it yourself, he’s fucking hot, and we both wanted it.  That’s it, though,” he promised. 

“So you’re not in love with him,” Zoro frowned and Sanji burst out laughing at that, because the idea was absurd and he didn’t even know how Zoro had come to that conclusion.  

“ _No,_ idiot.  I’m afraid you’ve cast some sort of Marimo-spell over me and you’re the only one I feel that way about,” he said it as teasingly as he could, even though he was becoming more and more convinced that what he felt for Zoro wasn’t as far off as he’d originally thought.  “But you obviously don’t reciprocate my feelings, and I’m not gonna turn down a hot guy, especially when there’s no chance of emotions getting involved.”

“Didn’t you tell me that sex with feelings is better?” Zoro asked suspiciously, and Sanji shrugged. 

“That’s what I hear.  But it still feels good,” he wrapped his arms around his knees and looked out at the waves, seeing that it was probably going to be a warm, clear day and looking forward to not doing much for once. 

“You don’t feel anything for him?” Zoro pressed and Sanji frowned, wondering why he was pushing so hard. 

“Does it matter?” he finally asked, realizing he was avoiding the question.  “You don’t like me that way, so even if I did, it’s none of your business.”

“But you don’t,” Zoro repeated, clenching his fists at his sides before he turned, hand coming to rest heavily on Sanji’s shoulder.  “Tell me the truth, Cook.”

“Why should I?” Sanji let himself smile rather cockily, because he could feel the air nearly crackling with tension between them and whatever came of it, it was progress. 

“Because…” Zoro growled, seemingly unable to find the words he wanted to say, and grabbed Sanji’s chin, moving closer.  “Because he doesn’t deserve you.”

“And you do, hmm?” Sanji asked, keeping his tone light even though his heart was hammering wildly in his chest.  Fuck, he’d thought Zoro would get possessive, but he didn’t think Law would ever be in any danger from it, and Zoro right now seemed liable to march up to the hotel room and draw his swords on the other man. 

“I…” Zoro leaned closer, something in his eye that was strangely hesitant, and Sanji pressed his hands against the swordsman’s chest, holding him in place.

“Don’t.  Not unless you mean it,” Sanji said firmly, because he wasn’t going to be some sort of…prize to be won. 

“I wouldn’t,” Zoro pulled back, swallowing.  “That’s not fair to you,” he sat against the tree, glaring at the surf, and Sanji sighed and took another sip of his coffee.  “So all of this…you did it to make me jealous.”

“Yeah.  Partly,” Sanji admitted with a grimace.  “That probably sounds awful, but you know, sometimes you can be a little oblivious.”

Zoro grunted but didn’t reply, still looking deep in thought. 

“Well?” Sanji pressed, nudging his arm against Zoro’s, “Did it work?”

“You’re an asshole,” Zoro replied, but there was no malice in his words.  “And honestly, I’m still trying to figure things out.  You’ve known who you are for years, and until a few days ago I hadn’t even thought about being with somebody like that,” he ran his fingers idly along the saya of his white sword.  “I guess I still don’t trust him.”

“Law?” Sanji snorted.  “Look, I appreciate the concern, but I don’t need you acting like some sort of parent-figure telling me who I can and can’t sleep with.  He’s a good guy, and you’re just gonna have to trust me when I say I know that,” he’d never blab about Law’s past to anybody, so he hoped that was enough to appease Zoro for the moment. 

“Look, just…be careful with him.  I’ll cut him in half if he lays so much as a finger on you that you don’t want, and when I’m done with him he won’t be able to put himself back together,” Zoro scowled, poking Sanji in the chest with his finger, and Sanji smiled to himself because now that Zoro had calmed down a little bit it was almost…cute how protective he was. 

But being protective over him didn’t mean Zoro was close to having genuine feelings for him that went beyond being crewmates, especially since Zoro right now seemed to have a bigger issue with _who_ he was fooling around with as opposed to that he was fooling around with anybody at all. 

It _was_ progress, of a sort, but until Zoro himself sorted out everything he was going through, there wasn’t much else Sanji could do to help him along. 

“Well, don’t think too hard about it or you’ll hurt yourself,” he stood up and kicked Zoro’s knee gently, taking the coffee cup and turning around. 

“Bastard,” Zoro muttered, although their insults hardly held any real heat anymore, and by the time Sanji had reached the back door of the inn the swordsman still hadn’t moved. 

000

“Fuck,” Sanji threw his head back, mouth open in a soundless gasp.  “I’m good.  I’m good, I need…” he groaned as Law scraped his teeth along the line of Sanji’s neck, three fingers deep in Sanji’s ass. 

Sanji had told him that Zoro knew about them, or that he’d guessed, and Law had looked almost worried until learning that, so far at least, Zoro was no closer to realizing some deep-seated love for Sanji so there was no reason to stop their arrangement yet. 

“Besides,” Sanji had noted, pulling the sweatshirt he had borrowed from Law off and smirking at him, “you haven’t even gotten to fuck me yet.”

And that was all it had taken, but Law was being a fucking tease now and Sanji was nearly coming apart under his hands before Law was even close to being inside of him, which wasn’t going to fly with him.   

“It’s been a long time.  Are you quite sure I’ve prepared you enough?” Law, damn him, didn’t sound affected at _all,_ and Sanji let out a garbled whine that he really hoped translated to ‘I’m going to kick you in the head if you don’t fuck me _right now’,_ but luckily the message apparently went through because Law kissed his neck and slid his fingers out. 

Sanji’s chest was heaving, his body soaked with sweat, and he brushed his damp hair irritably out of his eyes while Law slicked his own cock and moved closer.  

“How do you want to do this?”

Sanji didn’t trust his voice, as out of breath as he was, so he hooked his legs around Law’s waist and pulled him in, hoping that would be answer enough.  Law slid a hand under his back, lifting his hips up. 

“Relax for me,” he murmured, and Sanji did, letting his body go limp in Law’s hold and only wincing a little when Law entered him.  It was a feeling he had to get used to again, but Law had been remarkably thorough in preparing him and there was no pain to speak of.  “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Sanji wrapped his arms around Law’s neck, his body damn near folded in half.  “Move.”

Law obliged, snapping his hips with an intensity that Sanji wasn’t expecting and he yelped in surprise, clapping a hand over his mouth and glaring at the other man. 

“Too much?” Law asked innocently and Sanji jabbed him in the side with his heel. 

“Warn me next time,” he muttered, tangling his fingers in Law’s hair and pulling him into a kiss.  It wasn’t much more than breathing into each other’s mouths, especially not once Law started moving again, but it gave him a way to muffle some of his moans and he _really_ didn’t want to wake up everybody in the hotel. 

Law’s brow was furrowed and he was obviously concentrating hard on what he was doing, driving his hips in an even rhythm that Sanji found easy to match.  He hooked his heels around Law’s back and moved with him, Law’s cock brushing his prostate as he drove in even deeper. 

“ _Fuck,”_ Sanji gasped, unable to even think of any other words, and Law chuckled against his lips before moving even faster, eyes narrowed and hips stuttering a little as his pace started to become erratic.  Sanji gritted his teeth, one hand still fisted in Law’s hair and the other cupped around the back of his neck so that he could lift himself up a little farther, letting Law fuck him as fast as he could. 

He knew when Law was close, because the other man let out a sound that might have been a whine from any normal person but that Law cut off before it could fully form, his entire body taut.  His face was still stubbornly neutral, but his body was giving him away and Sanji was going to take advantage of that. 

“Do it,” Sanji ordered, trying to sound as confident as possible.  “Come.  I want to feel you inside me,” he murmured, and Law made a sound like a wounded animal before shuddering and reaching his climax.  Sanji kissed him through it, hearing Law’s breath hitch shakily as he rode it out. 

Sanji reached down to jerk himself off, needing release because his body was _screaming_ for it by now, but Law swatted his hand away and took over.  It only took a few strokes before Sanji felt his own orgasm wash over him, head thrown back and back arched impossibly far. 

His strength gave out as soon as he was finished, flopping to the bed and pulling Law down with him, and they were both sweaty and sticky and Sanji’s cock was trapped between them, ejaculate smeared on both of their stomachs and down Law’s hand and wrist. 

It was amazingly filthy and Law looked completely wrecked, beautiful and unguarded in the lamplight, and they just stared at each other for a while until their breathing and heartbeats had slowed. 

“That…was worth the wait,” Sanji decided, laughing, and he grimaced when Law pulled out but the other man seemed content to lay half on top of him for the time being. 

“I’m glad,” Law finally whispered, kissing the tip of Sanji’s nose in a rather playful gesture before he shakily stood up and staggered to the bathroom, all traces of his normal grace gone.  He came back with a wet cloth and cleaned Sanji off with surprising tenderness before wiping his own body clean, throwing the cloth aside and pulling back the covers so they could both crawl under. 

Sanji reached for his cigarettes, pushing himself up to lean back against the headboard and lighting up, and vowed that he was never going to go two years without having sex again. 

Not when it felt that good.

000

“I’ve never seen you smile.”

“Hmm?” Law looked over at him, half-turning onto his side.  Sanji pulled the blanket up to his chin, cigarette safely discarded now, and hoped that Law was as complacent in the afterglow tonight as he’d been after Sanji’s watch back on the ship. 

“When we’re…I mean, I believe that you’re enjoying it, but watching your face anybody would think you secretly hate it,” he mentioned, hoping that Law wouldn’t take offense.  

“It’s not that,” Law brushed aside his words rather brusquely.  “Quite the opposite, in fact.  But I’m afraid that I haven’t been able to truly smile since I was a child,” his tone was dismissive, and Sanji wondered if Law would _finally_ offer up some deeper insight into that part of his past or if he was just going to close off again.    

“Okay.  As long you’re still okay with it,” he decided that it was a lost cause to press for information and started to turn on his side, preparing to go to sleep.  He _should_ really get up and go sleep on the sofa or something, because while they’d slept together the night before there was a big difference between sleeping fully-clothed compared to post-coital and completely naked, but he couldn’t be bothered to move in that moment.

He was close to being asleep when he heard Law speak again, his voice nearly a whisper in the stillness.  “You’re from the North Blue.  What do you know of the White City?”

Sanji frowned, because what that had to do with anything he wasn’t sure, but… “I was only five when it…was destroyed,” he started slowly.  “I know that…the rumor was that the people there were infected and they had to be…exterminated to prevent whatever they had from spreading, but…”

“Government propaganda,” Law grunted.  “It was poison…lead poisoning, and not contagious in the least, but the government decided finding a cure was too much trouble and just…killing everybody with the excuse that they were threats to public health was a better course of action,” his voice was cold, and Sanji turned back around so he could look at him. “I was born there.  It was my home.  The day they…I saw my parents get shot in front of me.  My friends all died even as they tried to get on a boat that would take them to safety.  The hospital my father worked at, where my sister was being treated, burned in front of my eyes.  That was the last day I was happy,” he snarled, teeth bared in a rictus, and Sanji felt like somebody had just punched him in the stomach because it was hard to breathe. 

“Holy shit, Law, I…”

“I escaped by pretending to play dead and letting them collect me with the…the bodies.  Even though I knew I was going to die, I didn’t want it to be there, and I wanted…” he breathed out slowly, closing his eyes.  “It’s not important.  But it’s also not something I talk about much, as I’m sure you’ve guessed.  At least maybe I’ve given you more of a reason for being a cold-hearted bastard, and I feel I owe you that much,” he looked at Sanji but his expression was still blank, and Sanji didn’t know what to do. 

“How did you…I mean, you’re alive…your fruit?” he guessed, and Law nodded. 

“Yes.  That wasn’t until after I’d met Corazon, but as you know, that chapter ended much the same way.  My life has been a series of losing everybody I care about, and it’s the main reason I try to keep to myself.  I don’t know if I’m…” he stopped again, voice breaking a little. 

“Hey, my fucking _name_ means tragedy; at least you don’t have that hanging over you,” Sanji muttered, trying to lighten the mood.  “Shit, being shipwrecked and stuck on a rock for two months with no food doesn’t seem so bad now.”

Law looked over at him in surprise, blinking slowly, golden eyes almost luminous in the low light of the room, and Sanji realized that for all he’d pushed to learn about Law’s past he’d never offered up many details about his own.  “It seems you were correct when you noted that we both have demons in our past.”

“Yeah.  Guess so,” Sanji stared into the darkness, just thinking.  In all honestly, he should feel better because Law had offered up the information he’d wanted to know for a long time, but now he wasn’t so sure, because while it did go a long way in explaining why Law was the way he was, Sanji had no idea if there was any hope of him ever changing.  Some scars just went too deep, he supposed, and Law’s were some of the deepest he’d ever seen.  Still, the older man didn’t _have_ to say anything, and that he did said a lot.  He decided it wouldn’t be right not to acknowledge that, at least, so he cleared his throat and sat up.  “I’m…glad you trust me enough to tell me that now.”

“I know it’s not information you’ll abuse, if indeed anybody would even believe you that there were survivors from Flevance.”

His tone sounded final and Sanji was perfectly okay to see the subject changed since he was _still_ not sure how to react to all of it.  He felt like he should give Law a real hug this time…or something…but he didn’t expect that would go over all that well.  Still…

Law was staring at the ceiling, unblinking, the sheets balled in one clenched fist held against his chest, and Sanji decided that he’d accept whatever consequences his actions had and shifted closer, throwing his arm around Law’s waist and nuzzling his shoulder. 

Law sighed, loosening his hold on the blankets, and while he didn’t make any move to return the embrace, he wasn’t trying to run away, either. 

“Somebody told me once, a long time ago, that true despair doesn’t exist because a helping hand will always find you,” he finally whispered, and Sanji pressed a kiss to his shoulder and held him a little tighter. 

“Well, I dunno if _that’s_ true, but as long as you’re with us I think you don’t have to worry.  You saved our Captain’s life, and we all owe you for that, plus…Luffy likes you.  Somehow,” he added, and Law smirked at that.  It wasn’t a real smile, but it was better than the blank look his face had held since their conversation started. 

“I extend the same courtesy to all of you,” he finally admitted, and Sanji rubbed his thumb over Law’s hipbone, smiling to himself. 

“Good.  Then, whatever happens, none of us have to worry,” he decided, closing his eyes and hoping that Law wouldn’t have a change of heart and decide to push him off or something. 

He didn’t, as it turned out, and he let his hand rest on Sanji’s back in a way that still felt awkward but Sanji guessed that was to be expected. 

A slight stab of fear went through him in the moment before he fell asleep, because for as intimate as this was, it was _comfortable_ and the last thing their arrangement was supposed to produce was genuine feelings of any kind. 

It wasn’t what he felt for Zoro, of course, but it was _something_ and right now, he wasn’t sure what it meant. 

All he knew was that, since after today Zoro seemed closer than ever to _maybe_ reciprocating his feelings, it probably wasn’t a good thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yeah, inevitably things were going to get a little messy as far as emotions were concerned, so that’s what’s starting to happen right now…but for those of you who are concerned, no, there won’t be any direct Law/Zoro in this fic (at least, not without Sanji involved), and maybe it was the naïve asexual in me talking but Zoro acknowledging that Law is attractive wasn’t supposed to be taken as him being sexually interested in Law, but more that even somebody like Zoro, who doesn’t typically look at outer beauty, can acknowledge that Law is good looking. 
> 
> 2\. Sanji’s name actually does mean tragedy, or at least, that’s one of the meanings of it. It also means 3:00 and thirty-two and advisor/counselor (which actually does kind of suit him). But considering that Sanji’s original name was supposed to be ‘Naruto’, I think I prefer Sanji in whatever translation of the word Oda intended!
> 
> 3\. As always, thank you so much for the amazing feedback I’ve gotten and please feel free to continue reviewing/commenting because it does give me a lot of motivation to write!


	9. Chapter 9

He woke up to somebody petting him awake, and he was deadly still for a few long moments until he realized there was only one person it could have been. 

“Hey.  G’morning,” he mumbled, and Law’s hands stilled for a moment before continuing their actions, trailing lightly over his back and shoulders and up into his hair.  The realization Sanji had come to just before falling asleep was still bouncing around in his mind, but he told himself he’d deal with it later…when he wasn’t comfortable and happy and warm. 

“How are you feeling?” Law asked softly, and Sanji shifted a little, trying to gauge how sore he was.  It didn’t seem bad, though, and he doubted he’d be able to feel it for long. 

“Fine,” he decided, turning more fully against Law and half-closing his eyes.  “What time is it?”

“Mid-morning,” Law answered glancing out the balcony door.  “So far nobody from your crew has seen fit to disturb us, but I can’t say how long that will last.”

“Not long, knowing them,” Sanji mumbled, letting himself drift. 

“So.  Mr. Zoro has found us out, has he?” Law murmured a few seconds later and Sanji wrinkled his nose because, well, that had rather killed the mood. 

“Yeah.  It’s not like we were being subtle about it,” he muttered.  “But he seemed to have more of a problem with you than anything.”

“Most people do,” Law noted, not sounding put-out at all.  “Although I suppose I don’t do much to convince them otherwise.”

“Sometimes it’s safer to pretend you don’t care,” Sanji replied, because he knew that well enough. 

“Mm,” Law agreed vaguely, his fingers never stopping their almost hypnotic movement across Sanji’s skin.  “I’ve been like this for so long it’s almost hard to recall if I was the same as a child.  I doubt it; at least, not to the extent that I try to push people away now.”

“You’ve got enough reason to,” Sanji nuzzled his nose against Law’s neck, sighing,  He couldn’t even begin to fathom what Law had been through, losing everybody he loved not only once but twice, and it made a part of him ache to think about how alone Law had been for so many years. 

“Maybe,” Law didn’t sound like he was agreeing.  “Speaking of, I’ve told you an awful lot about my past but you’ve yet to reveal more than the basics.  I think you owe me,” he trailed his hand up into Sanji’s hair again, fingers clenching and tipping Sanji’s head back, and Sanji swallowed and shivered a little.  He didn’t know if Law was even trying to be seductive or if his voice was just so damn sexual that anything he said made it seem that way, but it wasn’t good for his libido. 

“There’s not much to tell,” Sanji admitted.  “I never really knew my parents, and all I can remember is hanging around the kitchens of cruise ships until I was old enough to do grunt work, and then I was stuck on a rock with a pirate who ended up teaching me damn near everything I know about cooking _and_ fighting,” he glanced up at Law, who loosened his grip and slid his hand back down Sanji’s back.  “I don’t know how it feels to lose somebody I love, because there’s only ever been one man I consider a father to me and he’s still alive…stubborn old bastard will probably live forever,” he smiled wryly.  “Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong with the rest of them, because they’ve _all_ lost somebody close to them, but…”

“The pain of losing somebody can linger forever,” Law said quietly, something purely soothing about his tone now.  “But it’s pain that can be overcome.  What you went through….I think very few people could ever understand it.  Just because your trauma was different doesn’t make it less valid, and from what I can see, your crew considers you very valuable.”

Sanji wasn’t sure how to respond to that, because he wasn’t used to such heartfelt things coming out of Law’s mouth, so he pushed himself up and kissed the other man, hoping that it conveyed his gratitude.  He knew that he’d always had self-worth issues, and regardless of their pasts, that was something he and Law certainly _did_ have in common. 

“Why me?” he asked when they broke away, because Law was in a rather candid mood and it was something he’d been curious about. 

“Hmm?” Law blinked and Sanji knew that he’d been a little unclear. 

“When we started this, you claimed you just wanted to fuck me.  This,” he gestured between them, “it was never part of the deal, but you’re not pushing me away.  So there’s something else.”

“You’re too smart for your own good, brat,” Law chuckled.  “I wasn’t lying when I said that I found you attractive and intelligent, but out of everybody on your crew, you were the only one besides your captain to never think ill of me or suspect that I had sinister motives in aligning myself with you all.  From what I know of you, you’re not one to stand quiet when something you don’t approve of happens.  So I suppose I was…intrigued by you more than anything, as to why I was the exception,” he clicked his tongue and Sanji had to admit that he had a point. 

It wasn’t something he understood himself, really, because normally he _was_ inherently suspicious of everybody, but especially since his time on Kamabakka Island he’d been more in-tune with how other people felt and he wasn’t sure what it meant.  He’d always been a little too affected be people in need, maybe, but not to the extent that he knew _exactly_ when somebody truly needed help or when they were faking. 

“Your captain said you had Haki,” Law mentioned.  “What kind do you specialize in?  Observation?”

“Yeah,” Sanji said slowly.  “Why?”

“It’s not that well-documented, but there’s very solid proof that those with strong tendencies toward that type of Haki can not only sense things like movement and objects, but also emotions.  Maybe you’re unaware of it, but if somebody is projecting their emotions clearly enough, you seem to have at least a bit of talent in recognizing that,” he murmured, and Sanji realized that he was right.  With Tashigi back on Punk Hazard, with Kin’emon, he’d _known_ they’d needed help without recognizing exactly _why_ he had. 

“Fuck,” he murmured, frowning, because that could definitely prove useful if he could actively control it.  Still, it had only helped them so far.  “So you…”

“When it comes to my gratitude toward Corazon, and my utter hatred of Doflamingo, perhaps I cannot hide that no matter how hard I try.  So even if you don’t feel like you can understand what I’ve gone through, a part of you can sense it, and perhaps that’s why I was drawn to you,” he pulled Sanji into another kiss, open-mouthed and searing in a way that Sanji felt it down to his toes. 

But it was too much, and he pressed a hand against Law’s chest and pushed himself away, trying to collect his thoughts.  If what Law said was true…then that meant that his feeling that Zoro was starting to come around maybe wasn’t so off-base and wasn’t just a pipe dream.  That was encouraging, at least, even if Zoro himself couldn’t fathom the possibility yet. 

He sat up, running a hand through his hair, and Law made a curious sound in his throat.  Sanji pulled his still blanket-covered knees to his chest, resting his forehead against them, and wrapped his arms around his legs. 

He had to stop this…thing with Law, because it was going way too far and he needed to lay some boundaries before Law started getting the wrong idea. 

“Forgive me,” Law whispered, resting a hand on Sanji’s back.  “If I did something you don’t approve of…”

Sanji shook his head but didn’t answer, not trusting his voice, and when Law wrapped his long arms around him and hooked his chin over Sanji’s shoulder, he stayed completely still until the surgeon moved back. 

“I understand,” his tone was back to being ice-cold, and Sanji felt like he’d been stabbed through the heart.  “I suppose _I_ was the naïve one to think you viewed this the same way that I did.”

“I do,” Sanji mumbled, not wanting Law to leave angry.  “But I’m doing this so that _Zoro_ will fall for me,” he wanted to make that very clear, at least, and he heard Law sigh heavily. 

“I do realize that.  I’ve never entertained any delusions that this was more than a form of temporary stress relief, but I had assumed you were…happy.  Your actions last night and this morning up until now certainly indicated so,” he sounded bitter and, well, Sanji couldn’t blame him because his actions were confusing to _himself,_ so he could only imagine how it would look to anybody else.

“You’ve been hurt so fucking much,” Sanji turned to look at Law, who glared back at him defiantly.  “I don’t want to be somebody who hurts you more.”

“Let me decide that,” Law said firmly.  “Your feelings toward Mr. Zoro have been building up for years, and are infinitely more genuine than anything you might feel toward me in the span of only a few days.  You feel sorry for me, perhaps, and you might care for me because you think I somehow am entitled to it.  I appreciate it, certainly, and I feel…safe being a little vulnerable around you, but the way I see it, denying yourself any sort of pleasure over hypothetical hurt feelings is only detrimental in the long run.”

Sanji turned back to him, but Law was back to looking smug and half-smirking, leaning against the headboard with one knee up and the blanket draped between his legs. 

“Asshole,” Sanji grumbled, because he didn’t know what else to say, but Law could be a smug bastard when he wanted to. 

Law’s smirk only widened at that, and Sanji found it impossible to be angry with him when he was _right,_ damn it, so he unfurled his body and moved back across the bed, slumping on top of Law and feeling exhausted again even though he’d just woken up. 

Fucking emotions, he thought bitterly, but in the end Law was right. 

Whatever they had, it felt good, and he was far too much of a hedonist to deny himself pleasure when it was so freely offered. 

It might fuck him over in the end, but until that time came, he’d try not to worry about it anymore. 

000

“Sounds like you had fun last night,” Usopp dropped down beside him, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning rather knowingly. 

“More fun than you,” Sanji flicked some ash off of his cigarette, not really surprised that they’d been found out. 

He hadn’t been quiet, after all.

Usopp, though, wasn’t really a problem, because for as different as they seemed at first glance he and the sniper had always gotten on remarkably well and it was inevitable that Sanji’s preference for sleeping partners would have come up in one of their many conversations. 

“Weren’t you worried Law would walk in on you?” Usopp asked, and Sanji looked at him, frowning.  “I mean, you’re sharing a room with him…how’d you get him to stay out?”

Sanji bit his lip, knowing they were at a crossroads of sorts.  But then, Robin and Nami knew, and he trusted Usopp to not run his mouth about things like this, so maybe the best thing to do was be honest.  “It would be very hard for Law to walk in on something he’s already a part of.”

There was silence for a good ten seconds until Usopp squeaked, his wide eyes even larger than normal, and he sputtered something for a while before choking out, “ _Him?_ You’re…s-sleeping with _him?!”_

“Keep it down,” Sanji grabbed Usopp’s nose to get him to quiet down and he did…well, at least about Law, although he started to complain rather profusely about Sanji’s methods of diverting his attention.  “Did Chopper and Luffy…”

“Luffy was sleeping,” Usopp sniffed, touching the end of his nose gingerly.  “And Chopper said something about ‘anal tearing’ and ‘proper lubrication’ before pulling his hat over his ears and sticking his nose in a book,” he replied, and Sanji sighed because that wasn’t as bad as it could have been.  So Chopper knew he was with a guy, but he knew the little reindeer wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.  Luffy…well, he wouldn’t either, but chances were he wouldn’t understand exactly what was going on with them, so it’s better if he never asked any questions about it.  “But seriously, Sanji…”

“I don’t to fucking hear it, long-nose,” Sanji grumbled, although Usopp’s hand landing on his shoulder made him look up. 

“I was _going_ to say that I can’t exactly blame you,” Usopp smiled hesitantly at him, jerking his head to the side, and Sanji looked up to follow his gaze. 

They were sitting down near the beach that was part of the Inn property, the day hot and sunny, and apparently the island was truly a tourist haven because it was fairly crowded out on the sand.  Most of the crew was scattered, doing their own things and enjoying their downtime, and Law was sitting in the shade of a tall palm tree, seemingly oblivious to the world.  He was flipping through a book, sunglasses covering his eyes and wearing only his jeans, and Sanji thought it was the most undressed he’d ever seen him outside of the bedroom.

Sanji certainly didn’t _mind,_ of course, but he didn’t think Usopp would notice. 

“I thought you were in love with Kaya,” he teased, because he couldn’t _not_ say anything, and Usopp turned a rather interesting shade of red before clearing his throat. 

“The great and magnificent Usopp’s heart does indeed beat only for the fair maiden Kaya,” he declared triumphantly, sticking his index finger up in the air to emphasize his words.  “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have _eyes,_ and…”

“Yeah.  He is,” Sanji agreed, because that was one thing he’d never deny. 

“You’re not…I mean, he’s kind of…scary,” Usopp finished in a tiny voice and Sanji glanced sideways at him, taking his cigarette out of his mouth before starting to laugh.  “It’s not funny!  He’s all…dark and creepy and…”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” Sanji nudged the younger man in the side, and Usopp mumbled something that told Sanji he did still buy into the stories about Law.  “He’s not…like that.  Not really.  But it’s not my place to say anything more,” he finished, staring at Law. 

“Okay.  Good,” Usopp swallowed, digging his toes into the sand before he asked, “So…you’re boyfriends?”

“Fuck no,” Sanji coughed, almost choking on smoke, because the thought of Law calling _anybody_ a ‘boyfriend’ was ludicrous.  “Fuck-buddies, maybe.  It’s just about getting laid,” he threw the cigarette down onto the sand and put it out with his shoe, draping one arm over his bent knee. 

Usopp didn’t answer, but a quick glance sideways showed his brow was furrowed and he looked decidedly unconvinced. 

“Look, it’s not really any of your business,” Sanji cleared his throat, trying not to sound rude but Usopp wasn’t an idiot and Sanji didn’t need anybody trying to make this more complicated than it was already becoming.  “I can sleep with him if I want to.”

“Yeah.  Of course you can,” Usopp nodded quickly.  “Nothing wrong with that at all,” his voice was a little too high and his smile a little too strained, and Sanji knew that he wasn’t buying it for a second. 

He thought Usopp would stay quiet about it, though, since it _was_ none of his business. 

At least, he hoped he would, because the last thing Sanji needed was everybody trying to convince him it was okay to have _feelings_. 

He was too damn close to realizing that himself to need any help with it. 

000

“I didn’t know they made seaweed flavored ice cream,” he wandered up beside Zoro, who looked back at him and grunted something unintelligible in what Sanji assumed was supposed to be some form of greeting.  “You’re talkative today.  Did you _actually_ hurt yourself thinking?” he presses his hand against Zoro’s forehead under the pretense of checking for a fever, and to his surprise Zoro doesn’t try to bat him away.  “Seriously, Marimo, you’re scaring me.”

“It’s nothing,” Zoro pulled away from his hand and moved up in the line for the ice-cream stall, Sanji following along behind.  “I just…still don’t like that you’re doing… _that…_ with him.”

“But what don’t you like about it?” Sanji asked, crossing his arms.  “That I’m doing it with him?  Or that he’s doing it with me?”

“There’s a difference?” Zoro blinked at him and Sanji rolled his eyes, because of _course_ that would go over Zoro’s head. 

“ _Yes,_ there’s a difference,” he didn’t want to say anything more, waiting for Zoro to find the answer by himself, but he looked like he was concentrating so hard steam was going to start pouring out of his ears soon. 

“So I need to figure out if I’ve got a problem with him or if I’ve got a problem with you being with him?” Zoro guessed, and Sanji clapped his shoulder. 

“Hallelujah, he gets it!”

“Oi,” Zoro nudged him in the side and Sanji let it go, because that was obviously progress.  “I don’t hate him…I mean, I might not _trust_ him, but I don’t have a problem with him otherwise,” he frowned.  “That doesn’t mean the reason I have issues with this is because I want to be in his place, though,” he added quickly, and Sanji sighed because if Zoro was so quick to dismiss having any sort of sexual attraction to Sanji they could still be a long way away from making any progress on that front.    

“Well, I suggest you figure it out,” Sanji stepped up to the cart and placed his order, getting an extra cone partly because he wanted to do something nice for Law and partly so that Zoro would notice.  “My feelings might not change, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sit and wait for you just because there’s something about him that you don’t like.  And _especially_ not when he’s so damn good in bed,” Sanji fluttered his eyelashes a little, licking at the curl of ice cream on the top of his cone as suggestively as he could, and the fact that Zoro blushed a little and averted his eyes certainly wasn’t lost on him. 

He turned on his heel gracefully and strode away, knowing more than ever now that Zoro _was_ attracted to him whether he was willing to admit it or not. 

Although, one way or the other, Sanji was going to make sure he _did_ admit it.

He just had to figure out how. 

000

“Ice cream?” he held out the cone and Law looked up from his book, taking it but staring at it rather suspiciously when Sanji took a seat beside him. 

“What kind is it?”

“Umeboshi,” Sanji replied without missing a beat, grin widening at the rather disgusted look on Law’s face. 

“The urge to swap out your head with this cone is strong right now,” Law muttered, his voice dark, although Sanji knew he wouldn’t act on his threat. 

“I wouldn’t do that to you.  I have a policy about not feeding people things I know they don’t like,” Sanji promised, and Law was still regarding him suspiciously while he tried the ice cream but his face relaxed after he’d seemingly assured himself there was no umeboshi present. 

“Thank you.  You didn’t have to bring one for me,” Law looked a little unsure as to what it meant, and Sanji by now had come to realize that he found Law’s insecurities over the tiniest things more than a little endearing, if only because it clashed so horribly with the name he’d built for himself. 

“Of course I did,” Sanji didn’t elaborate, letting Law draw his own conclusions as to why he’d done it.  He laid his head on Law’s shoulder, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth of the day, and he felt Law hesitate for a few seconds before his own hand came to rest rather possessively in the small of Sanji’s back. 

It was a tiny gesture, maybe, but it spoke volumes considering how hesitant Law had been to casually touch him even the night before. 

Law was one of the most closed-off people Sanji had ever met and if even he was starting to let down his walls a little and not worry so much about whatever would become of their…arrangement, maybe that was a clear sign that Sanji should start doing the same. 

Zoro would come around, he was sure of that, and maybe he might need a little coaxing but…

But in the meantime, there was still nothing wrong with enjoying what he had.  

So from now on, he was going to do just that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. While it’s never explicitly stated in canon as far as Sanji is concerned, one of the attributes that can come with strong Observation Haki is being able to sense strong emotions or need (Otohime could consciously do it), and Sanji’s done a lot of things since the time-skip that seem to imply he’s at least aware of this even if he doesn’t know what it is (he immediately believed Kin’emon when he said he was looking for his son and wanted to help him despite everybody else doubting his motives, he came back to help Tashigi because he could ‘hear the fall of her tears’, and even with Viola he knew she truly needed help even when she claimed it was a front). So that’s where that part of the fic comes from because I think it’s a rather interesting concept and I hope it’s explored further in his actual storyline. 
> 
> 2\. I don’t think I have anything else to say, but thank you to everybody who’s still interested in this fic and I’m glad so many people are enjoying it!


	10. Chapter 10

“What do you mean we’re stuck here for a week?” Law’s eyes were blazing as he stood up, his hand clasped around the sheath of his sword.  Sanji laid a hand on his elbow and pulled him back into his seat, willing him not to make a fuss in the crowded bar.  They’d been lucky so far that nobody had seemingly recognized them, and if they really _were_ staying for a while it would be good if that would continue. 

It was a couple of days later, all of them so unused to relaxing and taking it easy that Sanji didn’t think anybody had really been able to settle down completely yet.  Since his decision about Law they hadn’t really done anything sexual but Sanji felt like they were more comfortable with each other. 

Well, as comfortable as Law could probably get with anybody, but it was a big improvement from where they’d started. 

Zoro still hadn’t given him an answer, not really, but he’d taken to glaring hard at Law whenever he so much as sat beside Sanji so the blond figured he already _had_ his answer even if he wasn’t sure how to admit it yet. 

Apparently they had a week now, though, so maybe by then he’d finally come around. 

“Sorry, bro,” Franky shrugged.  “I’ve gotta do some repairs to the Sunny, and since we don’t know when the next time we’ll get a good break is now’s as good as time as any.  He’s been handling well so far but I’m not gonna neglect taking care of him just because you want to hurry.”

Law was seething, Sanji could tell.  When he sat back down his fingers were gripping the table so hard his knuckles were white. 

He didn’t say anything else, although the aura radiating from him was so full of hatred that Sanji thought everybody at the table, regardless of whether they were adept at sensing emotions or not, would be able to feel it. 

Nami gave both of them a rather pointed look before changing the subject to whether or not she could get a deal out of the inn manager if they were going to be staying there all week, and when Law pushed himself up from the table and stomped up to their room, Sanji only waited a few moments before he followed. 

000

He wasn’t _exactly_ expecting Law to damn near slam him onto the bed, one knee braced against his sternum and a hand around his throat to the point of uncomfortable tightness, but Sanji had never seen him this angry before.  There was a look in his eyes that was strangely detached and, admittedly, a little frightening. 

“Law?” he said quietly, sliding his hands down to grip Law’s wrist in case he had to try and physically remove the other man from on top of him. Law shook his head and sat back on his heels, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Forgive me.  That was completely uncalled for, and my personal vendetta against Doflamingo in no way takes precedence over the preparedness of your crew’s ship in the event of an emergency.” The words sounded hollow, far from genuine, and Sanji sat up and grabbed Law’s shoulders, forcing the older man to meet his eyes. 

“It’s okay.  I know you hate him, and I know why, but you’ve waited so long up until now…is another week really going to make _that_ much of a difference?” he asked carefully, not sure what would set Law off again. To his relief, the other man simply shook his head. 

“No.  Not in the long run, but I’ve never been this _close_ before and part of me is paranoid that if we let it sit too long he’ll find a way to take the element of surprise from us,” he explained, staring at the sheets. 

“Or, you know, he could expect us to rush there since we’ve got a hostage and us taking our time might throw him off,” Sanji suggested, because he knew Franky well enough by now to realize the shipwright would never budge until he was sure every little thing on the Sunny was in perfect condition. 

“Perhaps,” Law didn’t look convinced, but his voice was back to being mild and Sanji didn’t think he’d press the topic further.  When he actually looked at the older man, however, he was trembling slightly, as though he was about to shake out of his own skin, and his fingers were clutched in the fabric of his jeans.  Sanji wanted to help him, somehow, but he had no idea what to do

“Hey,” he murmured softly, touching Law’s knee and making him jerk in surprise.  “What do you need?”

“Nothing you can give me,” Law replied, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth.  Sanji frowned, because if there was one thing that made him more determined than ever it was somebody insisting that he was incapable. 

“Try me,” he moved closer, resting his hand on top of Law’s, and Law looked up at him curiously.  “If you need to take out some aggression…” he started, swallowing, because there was something dangerous lurking in Law’s eyes, flashing gold in the lamplight, and it was seriously turning him on.  He leaned closer to Law, mouth to his ear as he whispered, “you should know that fighting makes me horny.”

He could _hear_ Law’s breath quicken at that, his pulse fluttering under Sanji’s lips as the blond kissed his throat, and Sanji knew that he’d been right about what Law was asking for. 

He’d long since known that part of the reason he tried to rile Zoro up so much was because he _did_ enjoy fighting with him, because something about the threat of danger and the intensity of their fights, thinly veiled anger waiting to explode into something far more physical at any moment…he _knew_ that sex with Zoro would be amazing because of it, even if he also knew that the chances of it ever coming to that were non-existent. 

Well.   _Were_ non-existent, but now he really wasn’t so sure.  True, he didn’t want a relationship based solely around power-play and pseudo-hate!sex, but it also wasn’t something he was ever going to deny made him hard at just the thought. 

He didn’t think he’d get it from Law, since Law seemed to treat sex far more delicately, but there was no fucking way Sanji was going to turn him down if that was what he wanted. 

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, boy,” Law’s voice was pure sex now, low and raspy, his hand sliding up under Sanji’s shirt and pulling him in.  “So I’d suggest you back down unless you want to get yourself into something you’ll come to regret.”

“Not gonna happen,” Sanji chuckled, but he did pull away a little.  “Tell me.”

Law closed his eyes and took a deep breath, looking like he was steeling himself for something. When he opened them again there was something almost frighteningly calm about his expression. 

“Take your clothes off,” he said evenly.  Sanji scrambled to comply, a little apprehensive but not feeling any real threat from Law.  He knew the other man wouldn’t hurt him at this point, at least. 

Once he was naked he sat carefully on the edge of the bed, watching Law a little warily. Law’s face still showed no emotion when he intoned, “On your knees, hands on the headboard.  I’m going to fuck you, and you’re not going to move until I’m finished, and you’re not going to come until I give you permission.  Can you do that?”

Sanji glared at him, because of _course_ he had to phrase it as a challenge, the bastard, since Sanji could never back down from one. 

He didn’t say anything, stretching his lithe body out on the bed and gripping the headboard with both hands, head hanging down.  He felt a little awkward and vulnerable, being open like that, but he wasn’t going to bow out now.  He could hear Law getting undressed, a slight rustling of fabric before the bed dipped as Law climbed back onto it. 

Law’s hand on his back made him startle a little, but he moaned quietly when the other man all but draped himself over Sanji’s body, pressed against him with his cock nestled against Sanji’s ass.  “How much can you take?”

“As much as you’ve got,” Sanji replied, flashing a grin over his shoulder.  Law rolled his eyes at that but moved away.  Sanji could hear a bottle being opened before the other man’s presence came closer again, one hand trailing slick oil down his back. 

“Relax for me,” Law murmured and Sanji did, confident now that Law wasn’t going to do anything to consciously hurt him.  Law didn’t waste any time prepping him, though he was thorough, and by the time he slid his fingers out Sanji was nearly groaning with need, pre-cum beading on his cock.  “You’re so eager,” Law chuckled, sliding his unsoiled hand up Sanji’s cock and rubbing his thumb over the tip.

Sanji gasped at the contact, cock twitching for more, but Law moved his hand away and brought it to Sanji’s lips. 

“Open your mouth,” he murmured, and Sanji did, tasting himself on Law’s fingers and sucking them clean.  “Good boy.”

He moved away again and Sanji braced himself, stretching his shoulders out and arching his back.  When Law touched his hips he snapped his head back up, breath coming fast and harsh. 

“Tell me if it’s too much,” Law mentioned.  Sanji growled, trying to look behind him. 

“I already told you, I can handle- _fuck!”_ he yelped, because Law didn’t give him any warning before pushing inside in one smooth stroke.  It didn’t _hurt_ but Sanji wasn’t really expecting it.  “ _Asshole.”_

“Quiet,” Law murmured, fingers sliding into Sanji’s mouth again.  Sanji closed his lips around them on instinct, hollowing his cheeks and sucking.  “Hmm,” Law sounded pleased, the noise a low rumble in his chest.  “It’s hard to believe you’ve never given anybody a blowjob.  You’re a natural,” he chuckled and Sanji gulped, even though the idea of doing that wasn’t quite as intimidating anymore, especially after Law had been so eager to give him one. 

Law slid his fingers out again, bracing his hands on Sanji’s hips, and leaned in close to his ear. 

“Hold on.”

Sanji did, clutching the headboard tightly, but he still let out a yell because for being a scrawny little fucker Law had an awful lot of power behind his hips.  It was all Sanji could do to just hold himself upright then, body jerking with every thrust.  Law wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to go hard. 

The older man had prepped him enough that it wasn’t painful but it was obvious he was taking out his anger.  Sanji tried to steady his breathing, cock hanging heavy and leaking below him. 

Law’s fingers were gripping his hips so tightly that Sanji knew he was going to have bruises.  He spread his legs a little more, bending forward so his arms were fully extended and letting Law almost lift his knees off of the bed to get a better angle. 

Sanji could feel the strain in his arms from trying to hold his weight, his body shaking a little with exertion, but Law’s rhythm was faltering and he was breathing harshly, sweat-slick fingers slipping a little on Sanji’s skin. 

He came with his usual silence, body laying over Sanji’s and shivering with aftershocks.  Sanji stayed as still as he could but he couldn’t stop from whining when Law’s hand _finally_ closed around his cock, jerking him with quick strokes that had Sanji almost reaching his orgasm faster than he would have thought. 

“Don’t,” Law bit his shoulder, a sharp stab of pain that took his mind off of just how badly he _needed_ release for a split second.  “Don’t fucking come.”

He stopped moving his hand then and Sanji whined again, trying to look over his shoulder but it was impossible with the position he was in.  Law chuckled darkly, sounding almost evil, and he trailed one hand up Sanji’s stomach, fingers stroking over a nipple peaked with arousal and making him cry out.  Every brush of Law’s fingers against his skin was like an electric shock through his system. He moaned low in his throat when the other man continued to tease his nipple, rolling the hard bud between his fingers and pinching lightly before he removed his hand. 

“Ask me,” Law murmured, starting to stroke Sanji’s cock again, agonizingly slowly, thumb pressing down against the slit in a way that was almost painful. 

“I…Law, please, can I…” he managed to say before he cut off with a gasp and Law flicked his wrist, starting to stroke faster.  “Shit…”

“That was hardly convincing, Mr. Blackleg,” Law didn’t slow his pace and Sanji honestly didn’t think he could hold it any longer. 

“Please…fuck, _please,_ I need to…can I…c-come?” he tensed his body, trying to stave off orgasm for only a few more seconds, but Law thankfully decided to take pity on him. 

“Good boy.  Come for me.”

Sanji did, immediately, the release so intense that he couldn’t even make any sound, mouth open in a wordless cry until he was spent.

And apparently rough sex really _did_ turn him on, he thought hazily, arms feeling like jelly as he _finally_ let go of the headboard and face-planted into the sheets.  He managed to roll onto his back, groaning.  He knew he’d be feeling it in the morning although at least it would be a _good_ ache. 

When Law didn’t say anything for a good minute he turned his head to the side, forcing himself upright, and he sighed when he saw that the man didn’t look much better than before.  He was staring up at the ceiling blankly, still as a statue. 

Sanji carefully pushed himself into a standing position, glancing toward the bathroom door and wondering why it was so far away as he started to walk.  A shooting pain in his lower back made him yelp a little in surprise and his shoulders weren’t much better, but he somehow managed to stagger over to the sink and clean up, stretching out his muscles a little so they wouldn’t entirely seize up overnight. 

He took a spare cloth back to the bed with him, dropping it on Law’s stomach and watching as the man seemed to wipe himself clean on instinct before letting it fall to the floor beside the bed. 

Sanji grabbed his cigarettes and lit up, shifting himself back against the pillows and sighing when he found a position that didn’t hurt in any way.  He was halfway through smoking before Law finally spoke. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t fucking apologize,” Sanji snorted, not in the mood for Law’s frequent bouts of self-pity at the moment.  “I asked for it, and I didn’t tell you to stop.  It was fine.  Actually, it was really fucking hot, so stop feeling guilty.”

“But I don’t feel any _better_ ,” Law said after a few moments, something a little broken in his voice.  Sanji reached out a hand slowly, brushing the tips of Law’s hair with his fingers.  “I don’t know why I thought it would help, I just…”

“Because I’m not the one you want to take your anger out on,” Sanji reasoned with a shrug.  “But maybe it’s enough to keep your temper in check until we can get to Dressrosa.”

“Maybe,” Law didn’t sound convinced but he did roll onto his front, staring up at Sanji.  “Was it truly…enjoyable for you?”

“Yeah,” Sanji replied, because that wasn’t a lie. “I mean, I don’t want to do that _all_ the time because I wouldn’t be able to move, but…” he grinned, and Law’s face finally relaxed a little.

“Good, then,” the surgeon moved closer, something apprehensive in his body language.  Sanji tugged on his wrist and pulled him in so his head was resting on Sanji’s shoulder. 

He stayed there until Sanji had finished his cigarette, and only then did he shift so that he could kiss Sanji, slow and so different from the person he’d been only a few minutes earlier.  Sanji wrapped his arms around Law’s shoulders, pulling him up.  Law straddled his legs and cupped his face, breaking the kiss and resting their foreheads together. 

Sanji felt the instinct to run again, a clawing fear in his stomach that this was something far beyond sex, but he’d promised himself that he’d see it through and more than anything it was just… _nice,_ to find that human connection, even if it was with somebody most of the world was afraid of. 

“Are you okay with waiting another week?” he asked then, barely a whisper.  Law slid his hands back into Sanji’s hair, nodding shortly. 

“I suppose I have to be,” he eventually sighed and moved, sitting back against the headboard and lifting his arm in an obvious invitation that Sanji was all too happy to comply with.  “One would think I would be less…enthusiastic about rushing toward my inevitable death, but sitting around and waiting is even harder.”

“You’re not gonna die,” Sanji said automatically, because it irked him a little that Law was still on about that.  “That’s the point of having all of us, right?”

“I’m not letting any of you rush into danger for me,” Law replied.  “I’m the one with a grudge, and I’m the one that wants to see Doflamingo destroyed.  I don’t need to do it myself…truth be told, I don’t know if I _can_ defeat him even at full strength…but if I have to die to ensure that it happens, I’ll gladly forfeit my life.  It should have been over 13 years ago anyway,” he sounded bitter, and Sanji didn’t know what to say to that. 

“Law…” he cleared his throat, trying to find the right words.  “You said that…it was your fault that Corazon died…”

“It was,” Law said, his voice breaking a little.  “He risked everything just to find that fruit for me, even his own safety, for some kid he barely knew.”

“Exactly,” Sanji moved so that he could look at Law, reaching to grip his hand.  “So don’t you think it’s pretty fucking disrespectful to go get yourself killed when he tried so hard to keep you alive?  If you want to honor him, dying isn’t the way to do it,” he said, hoping that it would get his point across. 

No, nobody had ever _died_ for him, but Zoro had come pretty fucking close back on Thriller Bark and even though it had been years ago Sanji still had nightmares about it.  He’d been terrified and guilty and part of him still feels like he let everybody down by being too fucking weak when they’d all needed him the most but…

That had been the moment when he knew he was in love with Zoro, when he’d woken up in a pile of rubble and his first thought hadn’t even been for Nami or Robin, when he could barely walk and yet still _had_ to find Zoro, refusing to even contemplate the thought that he might be dead. 

And the blood…Sanji had never seen that much blood, didn’t know the human body could _hold_ that much blood.  After his expected moment of bravado Zoro had looked at him with a strange mixture of pain and relief clear in his eyes before he’d crumpled, unconscious, into Sanji’s arms. 

It was the scariest moment of his life, and the fear wasn’t even for himself.  Until Zoro had woken up he’d been withdrawn and quiet, everybody noticing although few of them knew why even now. 

But he knew that _if_ Zoro had died, the last thing he’d be doing is trying to get himself killed. 

“Perhaps you’re right,” Law’s voice broke into his thoughts and Sanji blinked, pulling himself back to the present.  He noticed that he was still hanging onto Law’s hand and let it go.  “But you’re not thinking of me right now.”

“No,” Sanji admitted with a guilty sigh.  “The point’s the same, though.”

“Maybe,” Law didn’t sound like he believed him.  “Regardless, I’m not _looking_ to get killed, but if it’s what has to happen to either ensure the safety of you all or to make sure he’s destroyed once and for all…” he stopped, narrowing his eyes and looking at Sanji as if he dared him to try and contradict that, but Sanji had no desire to. 

Maybe it wasn’t a promise, but it was _something,_ and Sanji had to be content with that for now.  Even if he wasn’t in love with Law, he did care about him. 

He kissed Law again instead of saying anything else, open-mouthed and deep, letting himself get lost in it. 

When they finally settled down to sleep, wrapped around each other far more closely than Sanji had ever dared so far, he thought that if it came to it and Zoro ever rejected him completely…it would be easy to get used to this. 

000

Of course, because he seemed to be the butt of some universal cosmic joke, everything had to change the next morning. 

000

He got out of bed, wincing at the ache in his body and knowing he’d have to take it easy, and told a rather adorably sleepy Law that he’d be back with coffee in a bit. 

Law mumbled something into the pillow, the sheet tangled around his waist and his hair in complete disarray.  Sanji thought idly that anybody seeing him this way would probably lose all the fear they might still have of him. 

For some reason, instead of heading straight to the kitchen to get the coffee, he took a detour and ended up on one of the upper balconies next to Zoro, who was apparently going through his normal morning training routine. 

At least, until he looked up at Sanji and walked quickly over, something dangerous and stifling about his aura that Sanji wasn’t sure what to make of. 

“What did he do to you?” Zoro demanded, stopping less than a foot from Sanji and staring at him like he was trying to read his mind. 

“Nothing,” Sanji replied, because it wasn’t Zoro’s business anyway.  He tried to sidestep around the swordsman but a shooting pain went through his lower back and he couldn’t hide the gasp and wince that followed.

“Bullshit.  Did he hurt you?  I’ll fucking kill him,” Zoro growled, the air around him damn near distorting with the force of his fury.  Sanji forced himself to straighten and put his hand on Zoro’s shoulder. 

“ _No._ Everything that happened I wanted,” he said clearly, willing Zoro to believe him. 

The last thing he needed was Zoro and Law getting into some fight, after all, especially when there was no cause for it. 

“So you had sex with him,” Zoro took a step back, crossing his arms.  Sanji rolled his eyes in response. 

“And if I did?” Sanji set a hand on his hip, keeping himself more or less in the same spot.  “You’ve got no claim on me, Marimo, and tough shit if you don’t like it because I don’t see you doing anything to show me that you want…”

He never got to finish, because in that moment Zoro apparently decided to actually _listen_ to him and do his damn best to indeed show him what he wanted

…by kissing him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I’ll let that chapter speak for itself ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Sanji didn’t know how to react at first, because it wasn’t really a kiss so much as a full-on assault.  Zoro’s mouth was sealed over his, his hands gripping Sanji’s arms hard enough to hurt.  There was no technique involved, just a feeling of being utterly claimed, and while it was positive that Zoro had _finally_ figured himself out, this wasn’t how Sanji had expected everything would go down. 

It _was_ Zoro, though; the man wasn’t exactly known for his subtlety and finesse.  So maybe, all things considered, the kiss-attack wasn’t entirely unexpected. 

Sanji brought his hands up to frame Zoro’s face, tilting the other man’s head so that the angle was better.  Zoro hesitated for a moment before moving with him, something the cook was grateful for since normally Zoro would never let him lead without putting up a fight. 

He could tell from the tenseness in Zoro’s body that the kiss hadn’t been a conscious decision so much as an impulsive reaction.  It felt dishonest, somehow, to take advantage of that, so despite how badly Sanji had been wanting this moment to come he pulled back before it could go any farther. 

Zoro looked more than a little taken aback, his eye wide and a hint of redness high on his cheeks.  He cleared his throat and looked away, uncharacteristically nervous in that moment. 

“So,” he started, glancing back at Sanji quickly.  “I think I’ve figured it out.”

“Have you, now?” Sanji lit a cigarette to calm his frazzled nerves.  His body was trembling a little, mind still not knowing how to process what had just happened. 

No, Zoro wasn’t a great kisser by any means, but even that rather clumsy exchange had only solidified his feelings.  The truth was, he didn’t give a damn if Zoro knew pretty much nothing about sex, because he was more than willing to be his…teacher in the subject. 

And for somebody that generally had very little patience for other men, that might have said more than anything else. 

“Yeah,” Zoro brought him back to the moment when he spoke.  “It’s not Law.  I mean, it _is,_ but it’s just because you’re sleeping with him.  I’d feel the same way about anybody else, too,” he shrugged, seemingly unwilling to say what that meant aloud. 

Sanji wasn’t going to let him chicken out of this one, however.  Yes, he knew what Zoro meant, but if the other man couldn’t even admit it they were never going to get anywhere.  

“So…” he started, drawing out the word.  Zoro huffed and shot him a glare, obviously unamused, but Sanji didn’t plan on leaving until he got the answer he wanted. 

“So your little plan to make me jealous worked,” Zoro finally looked at him again, gaze raking down his body in a way that felt entirely predatory.  “I’m not okay with him touching you, especially if he thinks he can hurt you…”

“I _wanted_ it, Marimo,” Sanji couldn’t even get angry at Zoro’s obtuseness in that moment.  He just felt drained, his body aching, and the urge to crawl back into bed was getting too strong to deny.  “Trust me, I’d never let him do anything I didn’t approve of.”

“He shouldn’t be doing anything at all,” Zoro mumbled, glaring at the balcony floor. 

“But you’re not ready to do anything sexual with me,” Sanji felt pretty safe in guessing that, at the very least, since even a kiss seemed to put Zoro far out of his depth.  Sanji knew they were alike in that respect, that neither of them appreciated looking like a novice, but if this was ever going to work Zoro would need to let go of his pride and allow Sanji to guide him. 

Which, the cook admitted, he was actually rather looking forward to.  Not _just_ because it was rare to be able to one-up Zoro at everything, but because the thought of being his first _everything_ was more than a little arousing. 

“I…this is all new to me,” Zoro crossed his arms, scowling at nothing.  “I never thought I’d ever find anybody that would be able to respect my dream and yet still be an equal partner.  Now I feel kind of stupid, though, because even though I hate you most of the time you’re somebody that _is_ both of those things,” he sounded strangely honest and open, his eye boring into Sanji’s own  It was impossible to look away and the blond felt his breath catch, stepping forward inadvertently.  “But I need to figure out if I’m even _able_ to do something that might directly impact my goals.”

“You know that I’d never want you to sacrifice your dream for me,” Sanji murmured, dropping his cigarette and stomping the butt under his shoe before raising a hand to rest it heavily on Zoro’s shoulder.  He felt that maybe he should be offended that Zoro was seriously putting him on the same level as defeating a guy who waved a giant stick around, but he knew that becoming the world’s best swordsman was more important than just that.  The girl, and the white sword…Zoro wasn’t doing it just for himself, and Sanji understood why he wouldn’t just jump into this with no hesitation.  Still, he had to make it clear that he didn’t expect Zoro to change anything for him…hell, if he’d been any different, Sanji probably wouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place. 

“You tried to do it for me,” Zoro countered, eye flashing with anger now.  Sanji flicked his forehead and Zoro growled at him, but there was an air of playfulness to it that was new.  Sanji decided instantly that he liked it. 

“So did you,” Sanji countered.  “And don’t give me any bullshit about knowing you’d survive, because you had no fucking clue what that bastard Kuma would do to you, and I….” he stopped, swallowing heavily. 

“That really hurt you, huh?” Zoro looked like this was the first time he’d realized it.  “I mean, I always thought you got so pissy about it because of wounded pride, but it was…”

“Partly that, yeah, because it was fucking embarrassing that you thought I was too fucking weak to even _try_ to protect the rest of the crew, but more than that it was because it was you,” he’d never admitted it aloud before.  Zoro looked surprised, blinking slowly as he digested that information. 

“It wasn’t that I thought you couldn’t take it,” Zoro finally said, gripping Sanji’s elbow.  “But it wasn’t a chance _I_ was willing to take.  Not when I could go in your place,” he sounded honest and Sanji felt his pulse quicken.  They were both idiots, he decided then, because they could have worked through this _years_ ago but now everything had become so much more complicated. 

“So where does that leave us?” Sanji asked, swaying a little on his feet and glancing up when Zoro gripped both of his shoulders tightly. 

“I…I really don’t know, Cook,” Zoro sounded like it was painful to admit that.  “I don’t like you sleeping with him, but I know it’s not fair to ask you to drop him just because one day I might be ready for it,” he leaned closer and Sanji brought one hand up.  He threaded it through Zoro’s hair, feeling the spiky tendrils under his fingertips.  It _did_ kind of feel like moss, he thought with a chuckle. 

“I’ll make you a deal,” Sanji decided, trying to come up with something that would appease them all for the moment.  “We’re here for a week, right?  So that should even give _you_ enough time to figure out what you want,” he teased.  Zoro glared at him but didn’t contradict his words, which made Sanji completely sure that Zoro agreed with him. 

“So you won’t sleep with him again?” Zoro asked, and Sanji bit his lip.  That would be a hard promise to make, maybe, because fooling around with Law was _great._ Still, he should meet Zoro at least halfway on this, and if it meant giving up sex with Law, so be it. 

“I won’t,” Sanji shook his head.  “But if we leave this place and you still haven’t given me an answer, all bets are off,” he warned.  Zoro looked like he was about to protest that as well before sighing. 

“Okay.  Deal,” he held out a hand stiffly. Sanji rolled his eyes and slid his hand to the back of Zoro’s neck, hauling him in for a kiss. 

It was…strange, he decided, because up until now he and Zoro had resolved their differences mostly by threatening to kill each other.  Still, most of the animosity between them had melted away over the years and was just habit, so Sanji was certain that eventually those habits could change. 

He flicked his tongue against Zoro’s lips, hearing the other man grunt in surprise, but he seemed to get the hint and opened his mouth. 

Sanji stroked his tongue against the swordsman’s, feeling him respond after a few moments.  And fuck, the man could _talk_ with a sword in his mouth, so even if he had no experience he _obviously_ knew how to use his tongue, something that he seemed to be channeling now. 

His hands landed heavy on Sanji’s hips, gripping tightly.  Sanji winced a little because he was still bruised from the night before but he was fucking _making out with Zoro_ so he could forgive him for that one. 

He wrapped his arms around Zoro’s shoulders, not willing to break the kiss yet.  He only pulled back when his lungs were screaming for air, panting harshly and feeling more than ever that this was what he really wanted. 

“I think…I don’t want you doing _that_ with Law, either,” Zoro mumbled against his lips.

Sanji wanted to protest, naturally, but he had to go at Zoro’s pace on this one and if they wanted this…would-be relationship to ever get off the ground they’d need to trust each other. 

“Okay,” Sanji nodded, voice a little hoarse.  “Do I need to kick him out of our room, too?”

That probably came out a little more sarcastic than intended, but to his relief Zoro only smirked at him. 

“Nah.  I like sleeping outside, it gives me time to think.  And you obviously…like him for some reason,” Zoro still looked confused at that, but Sanji couldn’t blame him because unless somebody knew about Law’s past and could see through his walls it would be easy to dismiss him as unlikeable. 

“Anything else?” he asked, because pretty soon he and Law were going to be sleeping on opposite ends of the bed. 

“Well, I’m still not sure about the whole cuddling shit, but I know you probably like it, so if he’s into that I’m fine with it,” Zoro decided, a smile playing about his lips.  He looked…relaxed, Sanji thought, especially compared to how tense he’d been only a few moments before.  Whether that meant anything in the long run Sanji wasn’t sure, but hell, he hadn’t woken up expecting Zoro to kiss him either, so he was coming to realize Zoro was far less predictable than he’d originally thought. 

“It doesn’t make you less manly,” Sanji promised, finally sliding his arms down from around Zoro’s shoulders.  He stepped backward, hands in his pockets and eyes locked with Zoro’s.  “And if you change your mind, my bed is always open,” he added in a low voice, seeing Zoro swallow visibly. 

He turned on his heel then and walked away, not wanting to push his luck. 

With how his life normally turned out, after all, he’d probably already pushed it too far for one day. 

000

He lost most of the spring in his step when he left the balcony, Zoro’s words and rules swirling around in his mind.  It had been so easy to agree to it, because it was what he _wanted._  Since Law should have meant nothing to him stopping all relations with him shouldn’t affect him at all.

That wasn’t the case, though, and he wasn’t even going to try to fool himself into thinking it was.  He cared about Law…a lot, actually, especially considering they hadn’t known each other for that long.  And he had a pretty good feeling that Law felt the same way about him, no matter how much he tried to pretend that he’d be completely fine whenever their arrangement ended. 

Well, Sanji guessed he’d find out in a few minutes just how ‘fine’ he’d be with it, and he wasn’t looking forward to it at all. 

000

“I thought you were getting coffee,” Law still hadn’t moved, eyes half-open and looking utterly relaxed.  Sanji felt incredibly guilty for what he was about to do, so he decided to take the coward’s way out and sat on the edge of the bed, not making eye contact. 

It was easier that way.

“Is something wrong?” Law asked softly.  Sanji could hear shifting and assumed that meant that the other man was sitting up.  He took a shaky breath, trying to come up with the best way to explain what had gone on outside.  “Sanji?”

Sanji squeezed his eyes shut, fingers curling into the sheets, because of fucking _course_ Law would pick now of all times to finally call him by his real name. 

He must have really, _really_ pissed off the universe in a past life or something because it was out to get him at every possible opportunity. 

“Zoro kissed me,” he finally forced out, although his throat felt tight and the words barely formed.  There was complete silence in the room for far too long, broken only by their own breathing, before Law stood up.  The bed creaked ominously as he left it. 

“I see.  Well.  I suppose our arrangement has come to an end.”

Sanji didn’t know how to respond to that so he kept silent.  He didn’t raise his eyes until Law was walking out the door, fully-dressed and looking ready to murder somebody. 

Maybe he should have spoken up, said something to make him stop, but in the end all he could do was curl up under the covers and bury his nose in Law’s pillow, trying to tell himself the wetness at the corners of his eyes was anything but what he knew it was. 

It was his own fault for agreeing in the first place, he told himself angrily. 

There was nobody else to blame.

000

He must have fallen asleep at some point, because he startled awake to somebody sliding into the bed behind him and wrapping their arms around his waist. 

“Law?” he mumbled, somehow knowing it was although why Law would come back was a mystery to him. 

“I had a conversation with Mr. Zoro,” Law murmured in a low voice, chin hooked over Sanji’s shoulder.  “He truly doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

“Yeah.  I kinda got that from talking to him, too,” Sanji replied flatly, but that didn’t explain what Law was _doing._ “So what’s the deal?”

“I’ve come to realize, Mr. Blackleg, that while I may have told you I would be…content with what we have between us ending, I wasn’t completely telling the truth,” Law spoke the words as if they were a burden to get out, something guilty in his tone.  It wasn’t lost on Sanji that Law had gone back to his normal way of referring to him, and that stung a little.  “There are…very few people in this world I would ever trust enough to reveal my past to, and even fewer people that I would allow to see me expressing any sort of vulnerability on top of that.  It may be selfish, but having found both of those in you I’m reluctant to let that go so easily.”

It was surprisingly honest, coming from him.  Sanji had been pretty sure by now that Law was starting to feel something toward him, but he really hadn’t expected any sort of confession. 

“And, if I’m not mistaken, I believe that my feelings toward you are somewhat reciprocated,” Law added, his voice so low that Sanji wasn’t even sure he’d heard correctly.  Sanji knew that it had probably taken a lot for him to say that, especially since he couldn’t know for sure.  After all, he wasn’t the type of man to ever do something without being reasonably sure of the outcome.    

Law was tense, his breath shaky and his arms rigid around Sanji’s body.  The cook knew he was waiting for some sort of answer, and he also knew that if he told Law he felt nothing that the other man would probably let him go and never speak to him again.  It made his chest ache to think that he could undo all the progress he’d made with Law with only a few words.    

And he should.  He really, really should, because that would make everything so much easier.  He could leave all of this behind him and forget it had ever happened.  Law would be leaving soon anyway, as soon as the purpose of their alliance was fulfilled, and he was a rival captain and a warlord and everything that Sanji shouldn’t get himself involved with, but…

But he was also human, and so fucking _broken_.  Sanji was too much of a bleeding heart to be willfully cruel to somebody who needed help, especially when it was help he was capable of providing. 

Well, it wasn’t like he’d ever taken the easy way out. 

“You’re a fucking bastard and I hate you,” is what he said instead, half-sigh and half-groan and all reluctant resignation.  He heard Law’s breath catch in a way that might have been a laugh if the man were capable of such things. 

“He informed me about the… _rules_ he’s laid out,” Law spoke the words as if they were immensely distasteful.  Sanji couldn’t say he disagreed, but he knew that keeping Zoro’s trust was more important than physical pleasure if he ever wanted to get to that point with Zoro himself. 

“And?”

“And, because I know how you feel about him, I assured him that I would respect them,” he said the words between gritted teeth and Sanji patted his hand, sliding his fingers between the surgeon’s and relaxing back into the embrace.  “But I hope you know that the night before we leave I’m fucking you until the sun rises if he doesn’t figure it out before then, because I’m not letting our last night in a real bed go to waste,” his voice turned dangerous, teeth scraping the line of Sanji’s neck.  The blond shivered and nodded, because _fuck,_ he wasn’t going to say no to that. 

“Okay,” he agreed, squeezing Law’s hand.   He kind of wanted to kiss him, but he couldn’t, so that would have to do. 

“Now sleep,” Law ordered, the doctor in him coming to the surface.  “I know how hard I was on you last night and I know that, no matter how much bravado you cover it up with, there’s bound to be some pain and stiffness.”

“A little,” Sanji knew it was useless to try and hide it.  “I wouldn’t say no to more sleep, though.”

Law held him a little tighter, breath even and warm against Sanji’s cheek.  Sanji felt his eyelids getting heavier as he let his body relax. 

It was far from perfect, of course.  There was probably something morally wrong about what he was doing, but there also wasn’t really a guidebook as to the best way to handle something as messy as what he’d ended up in. 

He should talk to Robin, he thought muzzily.  She’d been the first one to warn him about what could happen if he started developing feelings for Law, so she might have some idea as to how they could all get out of this without getting hurt. 

It probably wasn’t possible, but well, when your dream was to find an ocean that nobody believed existed, as a general rule you had to have a lot of blind faith and a lot of unfounded hope. 

He’d figure it out when he woke up, he decided.  Right now, he just wanted to pretend that everything was the same as it had been only a few hours before. 

He realized right before he fell asleep that he _still_ hadn’t gotten that coffee and vowed to do that first thing after his nap. 

Maybe this time he’d be able to get it back to the room _without_ anything earth-shattering happening in the process. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Argh, I’m not sure about this chapter. I’m trying to balance everything out and still keep it within the bounds of their characters so I hope it’s not too unrealistic (even though of course this would never happen in canon, but still)…I got an amazing amount of wonderful feedback on the last chapter and I get nervous about letting people down, but I’m still very glad so many people are enjoying this fic! 
> 
> 2\. The next update will probably be slower because I’ve got projects and exams and work over the next few days but I know the last chapter ended on a cliffhanger so I wanted to post this part up once I had it written! 
> 
> 3\. Also [marimoliciousness](http://marimoliciousness.tumblr.com) drew fanart for this fic and I never get fanart for my fics so I’m still flailing about this, but it’s Sanji wearing Law’s coat from chapter 4 and it’s perfect so I had to reblog it to my [tumblr](http://trafalgars.co.vu/post/101700641156)!


	12. Chapter 12

“I did warn you,” Robin looked over the top of her menu at him, the corners of her eyes crinkled slightly as if she was finding this all very amusing.  Sanji knew she wasn’t laughing _at_ him, but sometimes he still felt so out of his depth with Robin.  He rarely doubted his own intelligence but she made him feel about as smart as a crab, and about as worldly as a newborn babe. 

“I know, Robin-chan.  I should have listened,” he scrubbed a hand through his hair and tried to decide on what to order.  Everything he’d tried on the island had been good so far, but it was a way to try and avoid putting the conversation off for a bit. 

 Even though he’d been the one to initiate it, he still was a little afraid of the outcome.  “I never expected you to,” she held a glass of wine in her hand, swirling it around casually.  “If you’re asking my advice, I think what you need to figure out is what relationship will make you the happiest moving forward.”

“Meaning…?” he raised a curled eyebrow and Robin smiled, leaning forward. 

“Well,” she rested her chin on one hand, glancing around before another hand popped out of the table and folded the menu up neatly.  It disappeared in a flash of flower petals just as the server came to take their order, and Robin gave him a knowing smile as he tried to hide a laugh. 

He ended up just ordering the seafood chowder, his stomach not feeling up to handling more than soup.  He had a feeling this conversation wouldn’t be easy. 

“What I mean, essentially, is that at this point you and Zoro have a very established relationship.  It’s evident to anybody that watches you for more than a few minutes that the perceived animosity between you is mostly a front, but if it only ever continued that your relationship never became more physical, would you be satisfied with that?” she asked, and he had to think about that one. 

Yes, he _wanted_ Zoro to reciprocate his feelings, and he wanted to have sex with Zoro, but he’d lived for years with the state of their current relationship and he knew he could continue with that if nothing ever worked out between them.  It might not be easy to begin with, and his feelings might never go away completely, but it would be manageable. 

“If it came to that, I think I could live with it,” he said truthfully, and she nodded. 

“And what if you pursued a deeper relationship and it ended up damaging the one you already have?”

And wow, that was straight to the point, but again, Sanji could see why she would bring that up.  If he was being honest, he didn’t think it would change all _that_ much.  They’d still do things to annoy each other, and they still probably wouldn’t agree on a lot of topics, but the energy they normally spent fighting would be used for…other activities.  Since most of their fights just ended up damaging the ship and pissing Nami and Franky off, that might be preferable for everybody.  Zoro had said that he wasn’t into romance, and Sanji didn’t think that would ever change, but the way he had kissed Sanji that morning went far beyond just fulfilling some sort of physical need. 

Sanji didn’t want chocolates or flowers or any of that shit.  He _did_ want to feel loved and appreciated, and he wanted to see if there was any truth to the ‘sex is better when you’re in love with the person’ thing he’d been told his whole life, but he didn’t think that would be a problem where Zoro was concerned. 

The man wasn’t heartless, after all. 

“I don’t think that would be a problem, Robin-chan.  Honestly, I don’t think much would change between us except regular sex,” he blushed, then, because talking about that with Robin was mortifying.  She merely chuckled and nodded. 

“Well, then.  What about Law?”

“I...care about him,” Sanji decided that was the safest way to put it.  “He’s opened up to me, a lot, and maybe nobody else can see it but he really needs somebody and he feels…safe with me, for some reason.”

“But if the only reason you feel obligated to him is because you pity him, and because he needs _you,_ that’s hardly healthy,” she pointed out. 

“I mean, that’s…part of it,” he stopped talking as their food arrived.  He tried the chowder, pleased that the broth was thick and creamy and the seafood was obviously fresh.  “But we’re a lot alike, and I enjoy talking to him and spending time with him, and the sex…” he coughed, staring at the tablecloth. 

“Yes.  I’ve heard,” Robin replied dryly, but she laughed afterward and Sanji felt a little better about it.  “Could you fall in love with him?”

“Maybe,” Sanji had been thinking about it, and if Zoro was completely out of the picture he honestly thought he could.  But that wasn’t the case, so it was much more of a long-shot than a surety.  “If we had more time together.”

And there was the other sticking point: Law being there at all was temporary.  He had his own crew, and his own mission in life, and after their alliance ended the chances of them seeing each other again were minimal.  There was just no point in getting close to somebody he’d never meet up with again. 

“So it seems to me you certainly have genuine feelings for both of them, albeit for very different reasons.  It _is_ possible to love more than one person, Sanji,” she glanced furtively around again before a hand manifested out of his shoulder to stroke his hair back. 

“That doesn’t really matter, Robin-chan,” he laughed bitterly.  “They hate each other, so it’s not like they’re gonna reach some compromise.”

“It seems that way,” she admitted.  “Well, it was just a thought,” the hand winked out of existence and she turned back to her salad, seemingly done with the conversation. 

“Even if it worked…it’s not right, is it?” he asked carefully.  She merely smiled at him in that way she had where she seemed so much older than she was. 

“You’re a pirate, Sanji.  I think, if you’re worried about staying on some sort of moral high ground, you’ve already burned that bridge by merely deciding to travel with Luffy,” she reached to pat his hand with her own and he wiggled a little bit in his seat at the touch. 

She didn’t speak of it again until after their empty plates had been taken away, but her parting words to him were: “Just remember, the most important thing is that you’re all happy.  Our lives are far too unpredictable to forego happiness because of some perceived moral dilemma,” she gave him a softer smile this time, the kind that told him she believed in him to make the best choice. 

He appreciated it, but part of him wished he had as much faith in himself as she seemed to have in him.   

000

He wandered around town for a while afterward, trying to sort through everything that the conversation with Robin had brought to light. 

It wasn’t exactly making things clearer so much as more confusing than ever.  As he stood at a fruit stand and turned an apple over in his hands, mind racing, he didn’t hear the hurried footsteps behind him until it was too late.

The impact to the back of his head dropped him instantly, and he was only aware of several men surrounding his prone body before he blacked out.   

000

They were bounty hunters, from what he could figure, and surprisingly well-organized.  The wealth of posters on the wall showed that they’d done their research. He supposed he was thankful that it was him they’d snagged instead of anybody else on the crew.  That didn’t mean he was going to go down without a fight, though, and since all he could move at the moment was his mouth, he was going to put it to good use. 

“You picked the worst person to try and collect a bounty off of, dipshit, because my wanted posted is _the back of my head,”_ Sanji knew he was pushing his luck.  Still, if he could convince them that he was a bad choice to bring the Marines as a bounty head, it might be worth it.  “Any Marine grunt you meet won’t believe that it’s me, so you’re wasting your ti-” he was cut off by one of the men gagging him with a foul-smelling piece of fabric, the ends of it tied tightly behind his head.  He growled through it anyway, the scent and taste of it making his stomach turn, and struggled against his bonds. 

“Need I remind you that the poster says dead _or_ alive?” the leader of the hunters grabbed his chin, forcing his head up.  “I wouldn’t push your luck if I were you, pirate.”

Sanji stopped trying to struggle, eyeing the man who had a pistol turned on him.  He was well and truly fucked, since there were far too many of them for him to take out in his current state.  And _they_ at least knew who he was, since they’d made sure to immobilize his legs first. 

In fact, the device they had him in made him think somebody in their little group of bounty hunters was into some seriously kinky sex, because there was no other reason somebody would _own_ something like that.  There was a heavy collar around his neck, an iron bar attached to the back that ended in wrist cuffs, so he was forced into keeping his upper body perfectly straight with his hands trapped behind him.  The collar was bolted to the wall with only a short chain connecting the two so he couldn’t even lean forward enough to alleviate the strain on his back.   He was on his knees, legs spread and ankles snapped into restraints built into the stone floor of the…he thought it was a fortress of some sort, but all he really knew was that they were still on the island. 

Regardless, he couldn’t move, his body was aching, and he had no idea how the fuck he was going to get out of this one.  He tried to get his panic under control, but normally he was the one _saving_ people and not the one in need of rescuing. 

It wasn’t a feeling he wanted to repeat anytime soon…if indeed he even got out of it alive. 

He’d come to realize that his biggest fear was being trapped, something that could probably be attributed to being stuck on a spit of rock for two months.  It was making his pulse quicken and his breath come short and fast, leaving him light-headed and nauseous. 

“Good.  You’re much prettier when you’re quiet,” the man held his chin again and forced his head up.  Sanji leveled a glare at him, about the only thing he could do, but that only caused him to laugh.  “We set sail in the morning with the tide,” he told the rest of the men, straightening up.  “We’ll break his legs before we leave so he can’t try anything funny, but leave him here overnight,” he spoke with no emotion but Sanji couldn’t stop from flinching, shoulders hunching up before the bar stopped them and he gasped in pain. 

The way he was leering at Sanji now was making the blond nervous, because he was utterly powerless to anything the other man should decide to do to him.  Just then, there was a loud bang from outside the room and the hunter let him go, turning toward the door.  Sanji could hear yelling and rushed footsteps before the door flew open. 

“Sir, we’re under attack-” the man giving the report stopped with a gurgle, blood dripping from his mouth as a very familiar blade pierced him through the chest. 

“Kill the pirate,” the lead hunter turned to the man with the pistol.  “ _Now!_ We can collect a bounty from his corpse but they won’t want him back if he’s not breathing!”

Sanji felt like everything was happening in slow motion, Zoro pulling the blade of his cursed katana free of the man’s body and turning just as the pistol fired.  Sanji knew he wouldn’t make it in time, that _nobody_ would make it in time, and he couldn’t even twist his body to try and shield himself from the bullets. 

The gunman only had time to fire two shots before Zoro got to him, dispatching him in a spray of blood and show of brutality that Sanji had never seen from the swordsman.  His aim was true, though, and the force of their impact slammed Sanji back against the wall, hitting him in the left side of his chest. 

The pain was overwhelming, but he wouldn’t have to deal with it for long because a glance through pain-hazed eyes saw the leader swinging a rather wicked cutlass at his neck.  He thought about what a shitty way to die this was, resigning himself to it, but the strike never fell. 

Instead, the man’s head and arm were severed from his body, the blade falling uselessly to the ground.  Sanji coughed, blood staining the dirty cloth in his mouth, his vision going dark.  

He felt the restraints being cut from his body, but instead of falling to the ground like he expected, he was caught gently in a pair of strong arms.  

“Lay him down but don’t touch his chest.  I need to see how bad it is.”

“It’s useless!” the leader of the bounty hunters was still speaking, somehow, and Sanji realized that meant that Law was behind his current dismembered state.  “Those bullets went straight through his heart!”

“Let me be the judge of that,” Law’s voice was dripping venom, silky and dangerous, and Sanji coughed weakly as he was laid back, head in Zoro’s lap.  Zoro tore the gag from his mouth and he sucked in a breath, regretting it instantly because it only made his chest hurt more. 

“Don’t you dare die on me, Cook,” Zoro murmured, his eye full of visible panic, and Sanji whimpered. 

“Fuck.  _Fuck,”_ Law cursed under his breath, hands hovering over Sanji’s chest.  “It’s too close.  I need to…” he sighed heavily, leaning closer so that Sanji could see him.  “I need to take your heart out.  It appears our friend here has overestimated the ability of his ex-sniper, but if I try to remove the bullets with my power there’s a chance I could hit your heart in the process,” he explained, voice low and calming, and Sanji nodded jerkily.  “Good.  Hold on for me,” he brushed his fingers down Sanji’s cheek in a rare moment of unguarded tenderness before moving away. 

“Room!”

Sanji felt his body jerk when Law reached into his chest, but there wasn’t _pain,_ exactly.  He felt hysterical laughter bubbling up at the sight of his heart in Law’s hand.  Law passed it to Zoro, who took it with a good deal of hesitance.  Sanji wanted to make some ill-timed quip about them both holding his heart in their hands but it wasn’t the time, and he had to have been nearly delirious with blood loss to even _think_ of something like that. 

“This might hurt a little,” Law warned, pulling up a Room again, and Sanji could _feel_ the bullets leave his body.  It didn’t hurt, but it felt _strange,_ and he watched in a stupor as Law inserted his heart back into his chest.  The pain came back with a vengeance once the Room dissipated, Sanji unable to keep from groaning.  “You did well,” Law murmured, leaning in close again and stroking a hand through his hair.  “You’ll be okay,” he bent down and kissed Sanji’s forehead, and Sanji felt Zoro tense underneath him. 

Fuck, now was _not_ the time for those two to start getting into it. 

Luckily Zoro let it go, his fingers clamped tight around Sanji’s arm, and Law nudged his nose against Sanji’s and breathed against his lips, “You can pass out now if you want.  I’ll take care of you.”

At that point, Sanji didn’t think he could have stayed conscious even if Law had ordered him to, so he closed his eyes and let the darkness claim him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Why yes, yes I did actually use inspiration from real bondage gear for this chapter *runs away* (it’s called a posture bar, if anybody was wondering…). That’s about the only note I have for this one, so I hope you all are still enjoying despite the inevitable angst and drama that’s still to come!


	13. Chapter 13

When he woke up, it was nighttime.  The balcony doors were open, cool ocean breezes stealing into the room and ruffling his long bangs.  He ached all over, his muscles protesting even the simplest of actions.  A glance down showed he was naked from the waist up, chest wrapped with bandages. 

“You’re awake,” Law murmured in his ear.  Sanji could feel the other man’s warmth at his back, one arm looped over Sanji’s waist, and he decided he didn’t fucking care about rules or arrangements anymore and forced his body to turn over.  He nearly sobbed with the pain it caused, fisting his hands in Law’s shirt and burying his face against the older man’s neck, desperate for more contact.  “We took care of the rest of the bounty hunters.  It doesn’t appear as if they have any affiliations in the town itself so it’s safe for us to say here, but needless to say they won’t be causing us any more trouble.”

Sanji didn’t say anything.  He clung to Law like a frightened child, realizing perhaps just then how close he’d been to dying.  If Law hadn’t been there…

“There’s no lasting damage from the bullets,” Law stroked a hand down his back.  “You should be good as new in a couple of days.”

“You saved my life,” Sanji whispered. 

“I told you that I’ve lost everybody I’ve ever cared about,” Law tipped his chin up, staring into his eyes.  “I wasn’t about to let that happen to you, too.  Not now that I’m finally strong enough to prevent it.”

And Sanji decided in that moment that he was just too exhausted and hurt to care about anything other than what he _wanted_ to do, so he fisted a hand in Law’s hair and kissed him, smiling when the other man kissed him back almost immediately. 

“Thank you,” he said, pulling away before things could get too heated. 

“You know,” Law trailed his fingers up Sanji’s side, staring at him intently, “Mr. Zoro’s rules only stated that we couldn’t make out.  So technically we didn’t break any of them,” he looked smug.  Sanji snorted but couldn’t disagree, because honestly, they hadn’t.  “Also, while seeing you in distress was far from optimal, I can’t help but wonder what the…original purpose of that contraption they had you in was,” he noted idly. 

“You’re a kinky fuck, you know that,” Sanji muttered, but since he’d had almost the same thoughts he couldn’t really say anything against that. 

“I might have to get your shipwright to see if he can mend it, though, since I had to cut it off of you…” Law continued as if he hadn’t heard anything and Sanji groaned. 

“You _kept_ it?”

“Well, we don’t want a…device like that falling into the wrong hands, do we?” he smirked, raising an eyebrow slightly. 

“Since the last time I was in it I got _shot,_ I think you can understand why I don’t’ fucking want it anywhere near me,” he grumbled, although the thought honestly wasn’t so unappealing. 

“Hmm,” Law didn’t really reply, laying back and looking up at the ceiling.  Sanji pushed himself up a little farther so that his head was nestled under Law’s chin. 

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“This is purely hypothetical, but…if we got the chance again…would you ever let me fuck you?” he didn’t know why he was asking that, but there was something really fucking hot about the idea of Law submitting to him. 

Law said nothing for a long time, his fingers skimming over the bandages on Sanji’s chest.  He finally let out a heavy sigh and replied, “If it was you?  Yes.”

Sanji felt his breath catch and had to swallow down a veritable wave of arousal because _now was not the time,_ but that Law would even let him said a lot.  Of course, there might not be much chance of it happening, but the offer was out there now. 

“I might even let you use that thing on me…maybe you’ll lose your fear of it that way,” Law was teasing now, except he also _wasn’t,_ and Sanji didn’t know how to respond.  It was certainly more forward than Law had ever been before. 

That was the problem with it, though.  While the rational part of his brain was telling him it was just Law’s way to cover up his residual worry from the ordeal, Sanji couldn’t help but feel something else was going on. 

“You’re not just saying this to get me to…somehow choose you over Zoro, are you?” he asked softly, feeling Law tense underneath him. 

“Too smart for your own good,” Law sighed, the words barely loud enough for Sanji to hear them. 

“Law…” Sanji struggled to get himself upright, squeaking a little at the pull in his shoulders.  Law’s eyes were closed, looking like he wanted the conversation to go away.  Sanji wasn’t letting him off the hook that easy, though. 

“The day I got my fruit power…” Law started, pausing and swallowing heavily like he was trying to tamp down some strong surge of emotion.  “He was…lying there bleeding from gunshot wounds, and I _knew_ that I could save him, but I didn’t know what to do.  He kept telling me that it wasn’t magic, that I’d have to learn, but if it hadn’t been for me he wouldn’t have…” he stopped, emotion choking his voice for a moment before he got it under control. 

“Shit,” Sanji didn’t know what else to say, but fuck, if Law was still beating himself up about that thirteen years later it had to have hit him pretty hard.  Law already had told him he had similarities to Corazon, and that he got shot on top of all of that… “ _Shit,”_ he grabbed Law’s shoulders and stared down at him, watching Law slowly open his eyes. 

There was so much pain there that Sanji almost recoiled because he was _not_ good at dealing with feelings, but Law needed _something_ from him and he had to give it. 

“I’m not dead,” he said slowly, keeping his eyes locked with Law’s golden ones.  “You saved my life.  I know it’s not the same, but you’re a fucking brilliant doctor and you’ve saved so many people.  If he’d never gotten you that fruit, if you’d have died, all of those people would be dead, too, and maybe nobody would have ever had the balls to go against Doflamingo,” he realized with a jolt that ‘all of those people’ included _Luffy_ and that was something he didn’t even want to consider.  “It was his own choice to risk himself to save your life, and you’re doing so much to honor that by making sure other people live.  I think he’d be so fucking proud of you,” he finished softly, feeling like an utter fool because more than likely he’d been running his mouth for nothing. 

“I hope he would be,” Law whispered, reaching up to cup Sanji’s face.  “I apologize for trying to use sex to sway your decision.  I know you love Mr. Zoro, and it’s not in any way my place to try to come between you.  Forgive me,” he dropped his hands, something in his eyes going completely dead, and it was still frightening to Sanji just how quickly he could detach. 

He guessed that Law probably had a lot of practice with that, though. 

Sanji’s arms were starting to shake from the strain of holding his body upright, so he flopped on top of Law, nuzzling his neck and running one hand up to tangle in his hair.  “Don’t fucking apologize.  Not for that.  Not when I…” he paused, trying to find the words.  Robin had told him that it was possible to love two people, and while he wouldn’t call his feelings toward Law _love,_ he knew at this point they were undeniable nonetheless.  “You deserve to be happy, too.  Never forget that,” Sanji knew it was a lame way to end the speech, but anything else would be getting into territory he hadn’t quite worked out for himself yet.

“I feel like you could make me happy,” Law mumbled into his hair.  “Or at least, as close to it as I’m capable of coming.”

Sanji didn’t have a reply to that, and he felt like a coward for it. 

“I should go,” Law said suddenly, sounding almost panicked.  Sanji clamped an arm around his waist, keeping him in place. 

“No.  I want you here,” Sanji was sure of that much.  “I can’t make any promises, because it’s all up to Zoro at this point, but…” he sighed, feeling more tired than ever. 

He half-expected Law to leave anyway but his body relaxed after a few tense moments. 

They were quiet then, their breathing the only sound in the room, until Law spoke again: “I really do hope he’s proud of me.”

“I know he is,” Sanji reached for Law’s hand, lacing their fingers. 

They fell asleep like that, hands intertwined over Law’s heart, and Sanji’s last thought was that at this point he’d do almost anything to make Law happy. 

000

 “Hey.  You awake?”

“Zoro?” Sanji opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder, a little surprised to see the swordsman sitting nearly in bed with him.  By the light streaming into the room, it was morning this time. 

“Yeah,” Zoro glanced at him briefly before looking away, arms crossed and  a scowl on his face.  “How’re you feeling?”

“Better,” Sanji pushed himself upright, leaning back against the headboard and glancing down at his chest.  The bandages looked clean, at least, although he supposed the advantage to Law’s method of surgery was that it didn’t result in any _more_ blood loss.  The wounds themselves would still have to heal on their own, but that was a small price to pay considering how close it had been.  “Sore.”

Zoro grunted in what Sanji guessed was acknowledgment but still didn’t look at him, and Sanji leaned onto his shoulder and sighed.  They were quiet for a while, something not quite comfortable in the silence between them, before Zoro spoke again.  “I know how you felt.”

“What?” Sanji wasn’t sure what he was talking about.  “About what?”

“With me.  And Kuma.  I…damn it, Cook, you were bleeding out in my arms and I couldn’t do a fucking _thing_ to save you.  If I’d have been a second faster that bastard would never have gotten a shot off,” he was so angry that Sanji could practically see a red aura surrounding him, stifling and dark.  The blond grabbed his hand, trying to ground him to the present, because Zoro when he got like this was frightening. 

“It was,” he said instead, although it wasn’t a memory he liked to relive.  “We didn’t know if you were going to wake up, and I spent the entire time blaming myself for what had happened.  But you’re alive, and I’m alive, and it’s all behind us now,” he stroked his fingers over the back of Zoro’s hand, watching him relax slowly. 

“You wouldn’t be if it weren’t for _him,”_ he nearly spat the word out, like talking about Law was that undesirable.  “I guess I owe him one.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised the two of you managed to get me out of there without turning on each other,” Sanji commented.  He still wasn’t sure _why_ Zoro hated Law so much, because this kind of animosity went far deeper than Law just sleeping with Sanji, but it was a little annoying. 

“I guess if we have a common goal it’s easier to put up with him,” Zoro grunted, his arm coming around Sanji’s shoulders seemingly on instinct.  “And he really does like you, I’ll give him that.  I thought he was gonna rip the town apart to find you,” he sounded grudgingly respectful, at least. 

“Speaking of, how _did_ you find me?” Sanji hadn’t really thought about it that much at the time, but he knew how lucky he was for them to have shown up at the exact right moment. 

“Um,” Zoro paused, biting his lip.  “I saw it happen.  I was gonna come talk to you when I saw them jump you, and I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to try and fight all of them in the middle of town when we’re stuck here for a while.  I watched which way they were going and went to find somebody to help, and he just happened to be the first guy I ran into,” he looked grumpy about that now. 

“Probably a good thing, because you’d have gotten lost ten times trying to get through that place and I’d be a corpse right now,” Sanji replied, meaning it to come out light.  Zoro looked at him with horror in his eye and yanked Sanji close to him, nearly crushing him against his body. 

“Don’t fucking say that.  Don’t _ever_ joke about that, Cook,” he was utterly serious.  Sanji gulped and nodded, realizing in that moment how affected Zoro had truly been.  They threatened to kill each other on a regular basis, after all, and Zoro had never had an issue with it before, but they were never being _serious_ about it.

He wrapped his arms around the swordsman, resting his cheek on Zoro’s broad shoulder.  “ ‘m sorry.  I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Damn right you shouldn’t have,” Zoro muttered into his hair, his hands running gently up and down Sanji’s back.  “Shit, I tried to be careful so I didn’t fuck up saving you and it turns out I was useless anyway.”

“You weren’t,” Sanji promised, reaching for Zoro’s hand and grasping it tightly.  “They told me they were going to…to break my legs before they handed me over to the Marines,” he whispered.  “Fuck, Zoro, they wanted to cripple me and humiliate me and that…damn leader of theirs had this look in his eyes like he wanted to violate me on top of all of it.  Maybe your…methods of entering were a little heavy-handed, but I’m not sure they wouldn’t have shot me anyway just for good measure before it was all over,” he was rarely this candid around Zoro but today was a special exception, and for once he knew Zoro would listen and not pretend to brush his words aside. 

“But if Law…”

“Yes.  Yeah, I would have…died,” Sanji’s voice wavered a little on the word.  “But I didn’t, and that’s all you should care about.  Not everything has to be a pissing contest between the two of you,” he jabbed Zoro none-too-gently in the chest with his finger before settling down.  

“I just…I dunno what you see in me sometimes, Cook. I know I said that he’s not good enough for you, but I don’t think that’s true.  He’s smart and powerful and good at damn near everything and I’m just…”

“The second greatest swordsman in the world?” Sanji raised an eyebrow and Zoro snorted.  “Look, Marimo, there are a _lot_ of people around that are smart and powerful, and since I’ve never shown any interest in them before that obviously has nothing to do with it.  The bottom line is that I’m in love with you, and maybe I can’t put it into words exactly _why_ it happened, but I think that’s how love works,” he wrinkled his nose and lay back on Zoro’s shoulder. 

“Maybe,” Zoro didn’t sound sure, but he wasn’t letting Sanji go.  “I know that…you mean a lot to me, and that today was one of the scariest moments of my life,” he said quietly.  “I can’t imagine being part of this crew, being on that ship, without you in the galley bitching at people for trying to steal food.  And I really can’t imagine going into battle and not having you at my back,” it seemed like he’d given this a lot of thought.  “I don’t know what that means, and I don’t know if I can give you everything you want from me, but…”

“Wait.” Sanji didn’t know why he was stopping the other man.  This was the one thing he’d wanted to hear more than anything, but something didn’t feel quite right about _how_ it had come to be.  “You’re emotional right now because of what happened, and I _did_ give you until the end of the week.  If you still feel the same when this all isn’t so fresh, then…” he shrugged, unable to stop from grinning.  Zoro smiled back and threaded his fingers through Sanji’s hair, guiding him gently down to lie half on top of him. 

Sanji squirmed a little to get comfortable, draped over Zoro’s broad chest.  ‘Thought you didn’t cuddle,” he mumbled. 

“ ‘s not cuddling.”

“You’re lying in a bed hugging me.  That’s cuddling,” Sanji tapped Zoro’s nose. 

“I’m making an exception because you’re injured.”

‘Sure you are,” Sanji closed his eyes and probably would have gone to sleep right there if he hadn’t sensed another presence standing in the doorway.  He opened his eyes and looked in that direction, trying not to tip Zoro off that they’d been caught. 

Law noticed him looking and the look on his face was a sort of wistful half-smile, a rather intensely human expression that Sanji wasn’t used to from him.  He nodded to Sanji and turned around, leaving as silently as he’d come. 

“Was that Law?” Zoro grunted. 

“Yeah.  Can you…”

“Kind of,” the other man shrugged.  “If it’s super strong emotions I can sort of sense them, and I can usually feel when people are creeping around, but I know yours is a lot more developed.  You aren’t, um, going after him?”

Zoro sounded a little worried, so Sanji decided to calm his fears.  “No.  You know he and I were just fuck-buddies, so don’t worry about him,” he kept his words as dismissive as possible even though internally he was freaking out. 

He had no idea how long Law had been standing there or how much he’d heard, after all. 

“You’re not, though,” Zoro countered and Sanji looked at him.  “You…you like each other.  More than the sex, I mean,” he coughed awkwardly, a flush staining his cheeks.  “I didn’t really believe it before, but seeing how he was with you today…”

“Did something…happen after I blacked out?” Sanji asked.  He knew Law had been rather…tender with him in the moment, which was odd because the surgeon’s bedside manner was normally rather impersonal, but Sanji didn’t think Zoro would have analyzed it that much. 

“Kind of,” the other man shrugged.  “He wouldn’t let me carry you, even though he said that since the bullets were gone there was probably no danger in hurting you more, but the whole time we walked back he was just…staring at you with this look on his face like he was seeing a ghost or something.”

And oh  Fuck.  Yeah, that made sense, with what Law had told him.  “It’s nothing,” he replied instead, since that wasn’t his information to tell.  “I apparently remind him of somebody he knew a long time ago.”

Zoro only grunted as a reply, his hand heavy on Sanji’s back.  “You should sleep some more,” he said after a few moments of silence.  “Should I…”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Sanji told him with a glare, and he was a little taken aback when Zoro chuckled.  “What?”

“I wasn’t gonna leave, Cook.  I wanted to ask if I should kiss you or something,” he raised one arm so he could scratch the back of his head awkwardly.  Sanji just blinked at him, completely stunned, before he nodded.

“Yeah.  Yeah, go ahead,” he felt his breath catch when Zoro lightly touched their lips together.  He was still far more tentative in this than Sanji had ever seen him doing anything, but that he _wanted_ it spoke volumes. 

“I’m really glad you’re alive,” Zoro said as he pulled away, arms tightening around Sanji.  The blond smiled against Zoro’s neck, letting his eyes slip closed.

“Yeah.  Me, too.”

000

By mid-afternoon he was slept out and feeling restless.  He decided to walk down to the beach, promising Zoro he’d take it easy (the swordsman probably hadn’t reached his nap quota for the day yet and he seemed unlikely to move yet). 

Law was sitting on a rock with his elbows braced on his knees, sword lying beside him.  The tide was low and there were large clouds rolling in from out at sea, beach deserted in anticipation of the upcoming storm. 

“Hey.”

Sanji really didn’t want to have this conversation, but walking away wasn’t an option because he knew that Law knew he was there. 

“I spoke to the proprietor of the Inn,” Law’s voice was perfectly mild.  “I was told there was an available room for the rest of the week, so you don’t have to worry about sharing a bed with me.”

“What?” Sanji blinked, because that was the last thing he was expecting.  “No, you don’t have to…”

“You know that I saw the two of you earlier,” Law spoke over him, still not turning around.  “Our agreement was only binding so long as there was still a question as to what Mr. Zoro was truly feeling.  I believe, since that has been answered now, it’s best to move on.”

“Law…” Sanji put a hand on his shoulder and Law froze, tensing up. 

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch me right now, Mr. Blackleg,” he whispered, his voice tight with suppressed emotion.  Sanji snatched his hand back as if burned, not sure what to say.

“I’m sorry,” he finally spoke.  “I never meant…”

“I know,” Law did turn, then, and gave him a tight-lipped smile that seemed far from genuine.  “It’s my own fault, so don’t blame yourself,” he stood up and brushed off his jeans, hoisting his sword over his shoulder and walking back toward the Inn.  “I should have learned long ago not to expect anything good for myself, but I thought…” he sighed heavily.  “I hope that he’s everything you want, because you do deserve that,” he didn’t look back, his steps unsteady as he made his way across the sand. 

Sanji looked after him, his voice caught in his throat.  There was a rumble of thunder in the distance.  A couple of stray raindrops hit his skin as the wind started to pick up. 

Fuck.

So much for making Law happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. …I did promise there would be more angst…
> 
> 2\. Again, I’m not sure how quick the next update will be because the end of the weekend means I need to focus on real life for a few days, but we’ll see how it goes!


	14. Chapter 14

The storm was in full force by the time he made it back inside the lobby of the Inn, wind whipping the palm trees and driving the rain against his skin like stinging needles.  He quickly entered the warmth of the Inn and pulled the door shut behind him, making his way across the lobby into the attached lounge. 

He’d just slept for a day, after all, so he was nowhere near ready to go back to bed. 

The cozy room was mostly empty, the citizens of the town obviously deciding to stay at home rather than venture out in the gale-force winds just to have a drink.  He wasn’t surprised to see most of the crew there, seated around a few tables that had been pushed together. 

“ _Sanji!”_

Chopper was the first to spot him, the tiny reindeer flinging himself across the room, and Sanji caught him in mid-air and grinned.  He’d expected this, since none of them had seen him yet (Law had probably threatened dismemberment if they disturbed him or something.  He wouldn’t put that past the man), and despite his mind being in turmoil it always made him feel good that all of these amazing people _cared_ about what happened to him. 

“How are you feeling?” Chopper asked as Sanji walked back to the table, the doctor clambering onto his shoulders.  “Any pain?  Bleeding?”

“I’m fine, Chopper.  A little shaken up, still, but I’ll be fine,” he promised, settling down in an empty seat.  Nami latched onto his arm on one side and Usopp leaned on his other shoulder.  He appreciated that they weren’t making a huge deal about it, because he didn’t think he could handle that right now. 

The soft strains of a jazzy piano tune filled the room then, moody yet relaxed, and Sanji turned to see Brook seated at an old upright piano in the corner.  The wood was faded, scrapes and chips a testament to the piano’s age, but the sound that came from it was warm and full.  It lulled him even farther, surrounded by his crewmates and soothing music, and he pressed his nose into Nami’s sweet-smelling hair and wrapped his free arm more solidly around Usopp’s waist. 

“See?  See?” Luffy was saying, his voice cutting through the haze of contentment Sanji was floating in.  “I told you that an alliance with him was a good idea?  Right, Sanji?  Torao saved you, right?” he was excited, eyes shining, body bouncing in his seat as he clapped his hands together. 

“Yeah, Luffy.  He did,” he replied softly, not really wanting to think about Law in that moment.  Luffy decided to choose that exact second to become perceptive and zoomed his head over, neck stretched across the table while his body remained seated. 

No matter how many times he’d seen it, that particular move still freaked Sanji out. 

“What’s wrong?  Don’t you like him?  He’s a good guy!” Luffy protested, as if _that_ were the issue. 

“I know,” Sanji assured him.  “He is, and he probably saved my life,” he admitted, feeling Nami squeeze his arm harder and hearing Usopp’s breath hitch. 

“I knew he was all along,” Luffy grinned at him before his head snapped back into place, the recoil nearly enough to tip his chair over backwards.  He righted himself and laughed brightly, latching onto the piano and catapulting himself over there to try and put in a song request with Brook. 

Sanji knew it was futile, because the skeleton played whatever he wanted to, and he stuck around for a few more songs before feigning tiredness when Brook predictably launched into a rousing version of Binks’ Sake and excusing himself to his room.

He’d heard that song entirely too many times.

000

“So…is there something I need to know here?  Because that is not normal,” Sanji pointed to the bed and Zoro shrugged, glancing sideways at the man lying beside him. 

“I don’t think he knew I was awake,” the swordsman replied.  “He came in here to get his stuff, I guess, and sat down on the bed, and the next thing I know he’s asleep.  He looks like he needs it.”

Sanji nodded, because even asleep Law looked exhausted.  The dark shadows under his eyes were more prominent than ever, and he was sprawled on the bed carelessly, limbs thrown everywhere as if he’d passed out without even attempting to get comfortable first. 

“What happened?” Zoro asked quietly and Sanji shrugged. 

“He basically told me that since he saw us and we were…you know,” he gestured to the bed and sat down on the edge, pulling his knees up.  “That he and I were finished, and he was getting his own room,” Sanji snorted, because he _had_ beenangry at the time, but seeing Law now it was impossible to stay mad at him. 

“He’s not really that scary, is he?” Zoro was half-grinning in a way that told Sanji he’d never been afraid of Law, but Sanji knew what he meant.  Law was a master at keeping up an aura that would intimidate everybody who came across him, and by now Sanji thought it must have been so ingrained that it was hard to let go of unless he was sleeping.

Sanji reached out a hand toward Law without thinking about it, stopping short of touching him because Law had made it pretty clear before that he didn’t want Sanji doing that anymore.  He pulled it back into his lap, sighing heavily.

“Tell me the truth,” Zoro’s voice was low, more serious than Sanji had heard it in a long time.  “Do you love him?”

“No,” Sanji didn’t hesitate to answer that.  “I don’t know what I feel toward him, honestly.  I…you know that I love making people happy, but I can’t remember the last time I wanted to do it so fucking badly.  I just feel like shit because it’s my fault any of it happened, because I wanted to make you jealous,” he groaned and flopped back between Zoro and Law, who stirred in his sleep before settling down again. 

“It worked, though,” Zoro reached over and started running his fingers rather hypnotically through Sanji’s hair.  “So what’s the problem?”

“Because it’s not fair to you,” Sanji looked up at him, blinking slowly.  “That’s not how it works, Zoro.  He’s completely right by saying that he and I need to end things entirely, but that doesn’t make me feel any better,” he knew he was whining, but to his surprise Zoro kept smiling at him and it was kind of irritating.  “What’s so funny?”

“Instead of beating yourself up about whether or not it’s fair to me, why don’t you just _ask_ me how I feel about it?” he suggested.  Sanji reached up and brushed his fingers through Zoro’s earrings, causing them to tinkle softly in the quiet of the room. 

“I kinda figured ‘you can’t sleep with him and you can’t make out with him’ made it pretty clear how you felt,” he grumbled, letting his hand drop to the bed.  “You’re not comfortable with it, and I need to respect that.”

“Yeah.  That was two days ago,” Zoro said it as if it wasn’t a big deal but Sanji glared at him, trying to figure out what he meant.  “And honestly, I did that half because I was jealous and half just to see if you would.”

Sanji kicked him off the bed for that one.

Zoro hit the floor with a thump and Sanji glanced over at Law fearfully.  The older man was still fast asleep, his breathing steady and his forehead furrowed slightly. 

“The fuck was that for, Cook?!” Zoro hissed, luckily keeping quiet, but he looked grumpy as he clambered back onto the bed. 

“Did you honestly use sex as a way to see if my feelings for you were real?” Sanji growled, although honestly he couldn’t even blame Zoro.  He _had_ kind of played up the fact that he and Law were fooling around, and even Zoro would have seen that. 

“Okay, so we’ve both done some shitty things,” Zoro rubbed at his tailbone before settling back down, flopping his arm to the side.  Sanji decided to take it as an invitation and curled up against his chest.  “Anyway, the point is, I know you’re serious about me.  And I know that…whatever’s going on with him doesn’t change what we could be, so…” he shrugged, as if that should be obvious, and Sanji thought that it must be nice to just…come to a decision and never question it. 

Lately it felt like all he’d been doing was over-analyzing every thought and action.  It was exhausting. 

“It’s still not right,” Sanji felt compelled to point out.  “You deserve better than for me to be involved with two people.”

“I thought about that,” Zoro replied, and Sanji tried and failed to hide his surprise at Zoro _thinking_ about something deeply again.  The other man nudged his shoulder gently in retaliation, being careful of his injuries.  “And the truth is, I could never give you all of me, either.  You’ve told me that you won’t come between me and my dream, and my first priority will always be honoring my promise to Kuina by becoming the world’s greatest swordsman.  So how could I ask you to give me something I can’t return?” he asked, his voice a little tight. 

“Zoro…” Sanji pushed himself upright and leaned over the swordsman, staring down at him.  “What are you…”

“He’s not gonna be around forever either,” Zoro pointed out, which was something Sanji knew well enough but tried not to think about too often.  “You and I have a long time to work this out, and honestly, we need him now since he’s the one that’s got all the plans.  If he’s too busy moping around, that’s not gonna help any of us.”

It made sense, Sanji supposed, and if that was how Zoro wanted to rationalize it he probably shouldn’t say anything against it.  “So, you’re saying…”

“Until we get to Dressrosa, forget all the rules.  Whatever you want, okay?” he reached up, cupping Sanji’s face and running his thumb over the blond’s cheekbone gently.  “I know it’s fucked up, but hell, it’s not like we’ve ever been normal,” he grinned that demonic grin of his and Sanji couldn’t argue that, so he leaned down to kiss him instead.

“Are the others down in the bar?” Zoro asked once he’d pulled away. 

“They were when I left, but…”

“I’m gonna get a drink.  Give you some time to tell him,” Zoro jerked his thumb toward Law, who was still dead to the world. 

Truth be told, Sanji was a _little_ nervous about waking Law up for this, especially considering that on the beach Law hadn’t left him on the greatest of terms.  He didn’t think the other man would cut him up and leave him in pieces or anything, but there was always a chance…

“I’ll be back in a little while.  Unless you and he want to…” Zoro made a vague motion that mostly seemed to include wiggling his fingers and Sanji snorted. 

“ _No,_ Marimo.  I’m still injured, remember?” he raised an eyebrow and Zoro rolled his eye, moving to the edge of the bed. 

“Just…tell me one thing, Cook.  You’re a good judge of people, and you know enough about him now, so…does he deserve it?  Is he really a good guy?” the swordsman was staring intently at Sanji and the blond was a little flattered that Zoro seemed to trust his judgement so implicitly. 

Still, as much as Law tried his patience at times, that was a question Sanji could easily answer.  “Yeah.  He really is,” he promised, meeting Zoro’s gaze, and it must have satisfied the other man because he nodded once. 

“Okay.  I’ll be back in a little while,” he said as a farewell, stopping to grab his swords before walking out of the room. 

Sanji turned over so that he was facing Law, wondering if this was the right thing to do. 

Of course, thinking too hard had gotten him into his mess in the first place so maybe doing something impulsive would work out for the best, and whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t be any _worse_ than it was now. 

“Hey,” he reached out, barely brushing the tips of Law’s hair with his fingers.  That didn’t earn him much more than Law wrinkling his nose and murmuring something that sounded displeased, so he knew he’d have to do more.  “Law, hey,” he poked the man’s shoulder and Law swatted irritably at him before his eyes opened into thin slits. 

His face relaxed when he saw who it was and for the briefest of moments the look he fixed on Sanji was completely tender and warm, but a second later he seemed to remember himself and Sanji could damn near see him slamming his walls back up. 

“Did I fall asleep in your room?  I apologize,” Law started to sit up. 

“Wait,” Sanji reached out again without meaning to, hand hovering in the air between them.  Law nodded, slowly, like he couldn’t quite believe he was allowing it, and Sanji settled his hand on the older man’s shoulder, rubbing his arm softly.  “Zoro and I had a discussion.  The details aren’t important, but he’s told me that his…rules were more of a test for me to see if I was serious about him.  And I passed,” he was still a little unsure if he should go through with this, because this was the second time he had an out with Law and it would probably be a lot better for him to take it. 

Even though he wasn’t going to. 

“And?” Law asked, barely a whisper. 

“And he said that…since the alliance won’t be indefinite, that until we get to Dressrosa we can do…whatever we want,” he finished, feeling kind of foolish when Law’s expression didn’t change at all. 

“I see.  And you think I’m going to be happy with him, what, _loaning_ you to me?  Am I to grovel at his feet because he deems me worthy of a fraction of your time?” he sounded offended.  “As I told you on the beach, our arrangement has run its course.  If you truly want to be kind to me right now, let me go.  Delaying the inevitable won’t be helpful to either of us in the long run.”

Sanji wasn’t even sure how to respond to that, but he could feel the annoyance he’d had with Law’s attitude from nearly the beginning starting to boil over.  He pushed himself upright, taking his hand off of the other man’s shoulder and pointing at him instead.  “No, you know what, fuck you.  What was that shit about me making you happy and you caring about me?”

Law didn’t reply right away.  He stared at Sanji, unblinking, his fingers curling into the sheets like he needed something to anchor himself.  “Nothing I told you was a lie,” he finally said.  “But trying to salvage something that by its very nature has to be temporary is fighting a losing battle…”

“That’s a big difference from your little ‘denying yourself pleasure just because it might end badly isn’t worth it’ speech from the other night,” Sanji kept glaring at him because Law could be so damn obtuse at times.  Sanji knew he was doing it because he felt like he was somehow protecting…either himself or Sanji, the cook wasn’t sure exactly where his mind was, but it was stupid. 

“My life is a series of stories with tragic endings, Mr. Blackleg,” Law sighed.  “I don’t want you to be another one of them.”

And Sanji nearly burst out laughing, because he couldn’t believe Law was trying to pull _this_ shit again.  “Get off of your fucking pity pot, Trafalgar,” he snapped.  “You’ve been through shit.  I know that, and I know that you’re one of the fucking strongest people I’ve ever seen because you haven’t let it beat you, and instead of turning cynical and trying to hurt others you do everything you fucking can to help them,” he knew he had Law’s attention then, the other man barely seeming to breathe as he looked at him.  “Tell me the truth: if you let go of your past for half a second, if you don’t assume I’m gonna meet some gory end just by being close to you, what would you tell me?”

“That I want it,” Law said immediately, looking a little taken aback that the words had come out so easily. 

“Then trust me to take care of myself.  Maybe I’ll need help sometimes,” he touched the bandages on his chest idly, “but I’m not incompetent, and I’m not gonna die.  You need to learn how to be happy without worrying that it’s always going to end badly, because it’s not, and if you never take that chance you’ll never get over the fear,” he wanted to kick himself for getting so damn philosophical but Law was actually _listening_ to him and he couldn’t let that slip. 

The surgeon was still looking a little shell-shocked, eyes wide and lips slightly parted.  His face relaxed into a semblance of a smile then, something gently chastising about it that Sanji didn’t like but part of him wondered if Law even had it in him anymore to _not_ look a little smug all the time. 

“I do trust you,” he finally stated.  “You’re quite remarkable,” he continued, “because normally when somebody takes that tone with me they’d soon find themselves in pieces.”

“Try it,” Sanji smirked down at him, knowing that he was getting _somewhere._

“I have no desire to,” Law said, utterly honest.  “And you do make a rather convincing argument.”

“Yeah?” Sanji huffed a laugh, trying not to let go of his annoyance just yet. 

“Indeed.  I still can’t help feeling that I’m going to come to regret this, but…” he sighed in resignation and covered his eyes with one hand, nodding. 

“I’m gonna need more than that,” Sanji told him bluntly. 

“Yes,” Law said shortly, but it was enough. 

“Good,” Sanji flopped beside him.  “You’re exhausting.  I need a fucking cigarette,” he snapped his fingers and heard Law grumble, but a second later he had both his cigarettes and his lighter in his hand.  “You’re such a good errand-boy.”

“I hold a power that can grant immortality and cure any disease in the world, and you’re using it to fetch you cigarettes,” Law sounded amused, of all things, and when Sanji looked at him he was almost smiling. 

He smoked in silence for a while, letting himself relax before he spoke again.  “Hey, Law?”

“Yes?”

“I really do care about you,” he cursed himself for sounding sappy, but it needed to be said. 

“I know,” Law shifted closer, still leaving some space between them, but he was near enough that Sanji could feel his body heat. 

“Did you give that…thing to Franky yet?” Sanji asked then, needing a lighter topic to escape to because he knew neither of them wanted to dwell on feelings for long. 

“Mm, I wasn’t sure if that was still on the table.”

“Hey, you promised me that you’d wear it and that I could fuck you.  You’re not getting out of this one,” he looked sideways and Law rolled his eyes. 

“I have no intention of trying to go back on my word.  I’ll speak to him tomorrow,” he promised, looking out the window. 

It was still raining, the wind slamming the drops against the balcony doors, but the brunt of the storm seemed to have passed them by and the thunder was only a bass rumble in the distance. 

Sanji reached over to butt out the cigarette, tugging on Law’s shirt to get him to move closer.  He did, after a moment of hesitation, curling against Sanji’s side and laying his head on the blond’s shoulder, one arm slung across his hips. 

“So much for your extra room, huh?” Sanji asked, fingers tugging lightly at Law’s hair. 

“Well, it _is_ at the very end of the hall, and there’s a supply closet next to it instead of another room, so if you want a place where people are less likely to hear us…” he trailed off, but his meaning was clear and Sanji swallowed heavily. 

“I’ll go check it out tomorrow,” he decided, yawning.  Arguing with Law had really tired him out. 

“I’ll need to check your bandages once we wake up,” Law mumbled against his neck, lips brushing against the skin there with too much purpose not to be deliberate.  “I don’t expect there to be any issues so long as you’ve been following my orders, but if you re-open the bullet wounds themselves I can’t fix that,” he warned and Sanji groaned, because that probably meant they’d have to wait a couple of days before they could do more than cuddle.  He knew he was a fast healer, but he hoped his body would recover quicker than normal this time around because Law had done a lot to help him along already. 

“I’m being careful,” Sanji mumbled, pressing his nose into Law’s hair.  Law hummed but didn’t say anything, and when Sanji looked down at him his eyes were half-closed and he seemed completely at peace.  It made Sanji’s chest do that weird clenching thing again, and this time he didn’t even try to write it off as just sympathy for Law’s past.  He didn’t need to lie to himself anymore, and while there was still some guilt there because he felt that somehow he was being unfair to both Law and Zoro, he’d realized by now that it wasn’t his decision to make for them. 

“Should we get more comfortable?” Law tugged at the blankets.  Sanji nodded, shifting so that he was underneath them, and Law didn’t even need any prompting this time to curl up beside him.  “You do make me happy,” he murmured then, so soft that Sanji wasn’t even sure he was meant to hear it. 

“Good,” Sanji whispered, pressing a kiss into Law’s hair.  The other man’s arm tightened around his waist. 

Sanji fell asleep with the sound of rain in his ears, the feeling of Law’s warmth at his side, and a fervent hope that tomorrow might bring better things for all of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I’ve received my first hate-review for this fic! Mostly it succeeded in making me laugh because in it they ended up accusing me of reviewing my own fics with no actual proof, but their biggest issue seemed to be that there is, in fact, Law/Sanji in this fic. You know, just like the summary states. I will admit that Law/Sanji has played a bigger part in the fic than I’d actually intended upon starting it, but for the most part I’m getting the impression that people are more or less okay with it, so I do hope that’s the case! 
> 
> 2\. Second, I’ve had people ask me if there will actually be top!Sanji in this fic. The answer is yes. I know some people don’t like that, so I’ll try to put a note on the chapter when it happens. It obviously won’t be a big part of the fic and will probably only happen once, but it’s going to happen...
> 
> 3\. That being said, this chapter kind of wraps up the angst…at least, the major part of the angst, although I can’t promise everything will be pure fluff from here on out. This chapter was also tough to write because I wanted to make sure everything made sense in the way it was articulated, so I hope it reads well and that it’s somewhat in-character considering the situation. Thanks again for all the feedback :)


	15. Chapter 15

He woke up to the sounds of soft conversation, and part of him was surprised to see Law and Zoro talking rather civilly on the balcony.  The storm had moved off entirely overnight, the wind dying down to a mere breeze, and the sun was shining brightly over the water.  Law had a cup of coffee in his hands and was leaning back on the balcony rail while Zoro had propped himself up against the building across from him. 

Things didn’t look tense, at least.  Sanji pushed himself out of the bed, wincing a little as he straightened up and walked slowly over.  Law passed him the coffee cup as soon as he’d set foot on the balcony and he took it and inhaled gratefully, taking a sip before handing it back over. 

He noticed Zoro looking at him curiously and realized belatedly how domestic that had probably seemed, but he wasn’t going to worry about any of that anymore because as far as he was concerned they’d worked it all out the night before. 

At least, he still hoped that was the plan. 

“Come on.  Bandages,” Law set the cup down on the rail itself and stalked back into the room, leaving Sanji to follow him. 

“When did you get back last night?” he asked Zoro.  The swordsman shrugged his shoulders, glancing off to the side. 

“A couple hours later.  Luffy almost broke a few bottles so Nami decided it was time to get him out of there and the rest of us kind of followed after a while.  You guys looked pretty comfortable, though,” he was frowning, staring off at the ocean.  “I guess your talk went well.”

“Eventually,” Sanji admitted.  “He’s damn stubborn and was stuck in some shitty ‘woe-is-me’ cycle so I had to snap him out of that first.  You didn’t sleep in the bed, though,” he felt he had to mention it because he knew he’d have felt it if Zoro had joined them at any point. 

Zoro blushed and ducked his head, looking a little guilty, and mumbled something about sleeping on the armchair so Sanji kicked his knee lightly.  “Oi!”

“Sleep in the bed, dumbass.  You were fine lying there when Law was asleep, and it’s big enough for all of us,” he glared at Zoro, crossing his arms, and finally the green-haired man nodded. 

“Fine,” he grunted.  Sanji ruffled his hair on the way by, grinning back at him before making his way into the bathroom.

000

“Sometimes I have to remind myself that you’re not him.”

Sanji hummed, letting his eyes slide closed and turning his body toward the stream of hot water from the shower.  Law, it had turned out, really had no intention of _just_ changing his bandages and instead had suggested they take a joint shower. 

“Mm, I’m not,” Sanji tipped his head back onto Law’s shoulder, stroking his hands down the other man’s arms.  “But he seemed like a fucking amazing guy, so if I’m anything like him, I’m glad.”

“Before he was killed…” Law swallowed, his arms tightening around Sanji’s waist.  “He told me to survive and be free of Doflamingo, and that he loved me, and that…” his breath hitched and he paused, obviously fighting back some strong emotion.  “He promised he wouldn’t die.”

Sanji sighed, because yes, he had said pretty much the exact same thing.  He _wasn’t_ going to die, though…at least, not before he found the All Blue and brought the shitty old man there to see it for himself. 

“He did love you,” Sanji whispered, lifting one hand to brush his own wet bangs out of his eyes.  “But just because he’s not here anymore doesn’t mean you should close yourself off from love entirely.”

“It’s easier,” Law mumbled against his shoulder.  “If I make myself unlovable…”

“You’re not doing a very good job,” Sanji grinned.  “Unless you normally take naked showers with people you hate.”

“You’re becoming an exception to most of my rules,” Law muttered dryly, but there was a warm undercurrent to his voice that Sanji had realized meant that he was far from serious.  “I still can’t help but feel one day I’ll come to regret that, but…” he sighed heavily and kissed Sanji’s shoulder,

“Hey,” Sanji reached back to smack his hip gently.  “No more of that.  Fuck, I thought I was a realist, but I’ve got nothing on you when it comes to killing the mood,” he started, but it was impossible to stay even the least bit angry when Law trailed a line of kisses up to his neck, sucking gently at the skin there.

“I’m trying,” Law mumbled against his skin.  “I am, but I’ve trained myself into a pattern of always expecting the worst.”

“So’ve I,” Sanji grunted.  “But that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy myself when there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“You do have a point,” Law sounded utterly resigned.  “Sanji, I…”

“Keep doing that,” Sanji said, cutting off Law without realizing it. 

“Hmm?”

“My name.  Keep calling me that,” he requested, because the only other time Law had done that was before everything had started to fall apart.  “Is that…I mean, is that another way for you to try and distance yourself?” he asked cautiously, and he could feel Law shrug. 

“Perhaps inadvertently,” he admitted.  “Although I generally only call people by their given name if I don’t respect them much.  That’s not the case with you, though,” he added quickly, as if Sanji would think otherwise.

Sanji turned around, looping his arms around Law’s neck and staring up at him for a few breathless moments before he decided to throw caution to the winds and leaned in to kiss him. 

He hadn’t, not since they’d agreed to their new arrangement.  He wasn’t _exactly_ sure why he was hesitating when he’d never had any issue kissing him before, but it _was_ easy to get lost in it.  Law was just really fucking good with his mouth. 

The older man let out a slow breath through his nose as he returned the kiss, hands framing Sanji’s hips.  He opened his mouth and Sanji let himself sink into it, for once clearing his mind of everything except what was happening in that moment.  He slid his hands up a little, one framing the back of Law’s neck and the other clenched in his hair. 

He could feel himself starting to get aroused, Law’s cock nudging against his hip telling him the other man was in a similar situation.  They shouldn’t, not yet, but…

“Oi, you guys aren’t doing _things_ in the shower, are you?  ‘ve gotta piss!”

Zoro was pounding on the door and Sanji broke away from Law’s mouth, coughing a little. 

“We’re behaving perfectly appropriately, Mr. Zoro,” Law called, not sounding out of breath in the least.  He _was_ turned on, though, cheeks flushed more from just the heat of the shower and cock half-hard as he looked at Sanji and smirked. 

“Good,” Zoro pushed his way in and Sanji was glad the shower curtain wasn’t see-through so he probably couldn’t tell what they’d been about to do.  Law sighed and reached to turn off the water, sticking his hand out of the shower to grab a couple of towels and passing one to Sanji.  He wrapped the other around his waist and stepped out, Sanji following once he’d gotten himself covered as well. 

“Right.  Bandages,” Law nodded, and Sanji carefully unwound the now-wet strips of fabric before letting them fall away.  The bullet wounds themselves were healing as well as could be expected, he guessed, since they didn’t look infected and the bandages were free of blood.  “Good.  If you promise to take it easy, I think we can forego the bandages and just use a gauze pad for the next day, and then tomorrow I’ll take a look at it again,” he was using what Sanji had started to call his doctor-voice now, low and soothing and even. 

“I will,” he nodded and that seemed to be enough for Law. 

“I’ll be back with the supplies in a bit,” Law walked out of the bathroom. 

Sanji leaned back against the counter and looked at Zoro, who was staring at him rather pointedly.  “You’ve seen me _naked,_ Marimo.  Why are you acting like I’m somehow offending your delicate sensibilities?” he snorted. 

“It’s different,” Zoro frowned, narrowing his eye.  “Before you were just some annoying guy I had to deal with, but now you’re…” he waved his hand vaguely.  Sanji tilted his head to the side, honestly not sure what Zoro was talking about. 

“What?”

“I never realized how hot you are.  Okay?” he snapped, covering his face a second later.  Sanji’s first response was to burst out laughing until he realized that Zoro was being _serious,_

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Sanji asked quietly, reaching to touch Zoro’s shoulder.  “I mean…”

“Yeah  Fuck.  I don’t know,” Zoro turned back around and Sanji could see that he was blushing, and it was really endearing to see somebody as self-assured as Zoro being completely out of his element. 

“Hey,” Sanji took a step forward, settling both his hands on Zoro’s shoulders now.  “Trust me, this is gonna work a whole lot better if you can admit you’re attracted to me,” he grinned before noticing that Zoro had clenched his hands into fists at his sides, teeth gritted and looking rather ill.  “Touch me,” he prompted, reaching to take Zoro’s wrist and moving his hand so that it was hovering over Sanji’s waist. 

Zoro’s hand settled just above his hip, heavy and warm.  The swordsman shivered a little, his fingers gently moving along Sanji’s skin.  There was a look on his face that seemed both reverent and amazed, and Sanji had to admit to being a little flattered by all of it.  Zoro’s hand moved up his torso, feather-light touches that felt almost ticklish.  He rubbed his thumb along the defined ridge of Sanji’s collarbone, sliding over to his shoulder and down his arm. 

There was something so careful about how he was touching Sanji, and yet the blond knew that every touch had a purpose.  The look on Zoro’s face was full of intense concentration, like he was mapping out Sanji’s skin under his fingers so that he’d always remember it. 

Sanji had rarely seen him so gentle or focused, except…that white sword, he realized with a jolt.  That was how he touched it, whether to clean it or when he was drawing it for battle.  He wasn’t being gentle because he thought Sanji was breakable, but because for him that was showing the ultimate form of care and respect. 

It was overwhelming and Sanji wanted to say _something_ to break the moment, unsure if Zoro even realized what he was doing. 

“Oi.” His voice came out far breathier than he’d intended, and he set his hands on Zoro’s cheeks to pull him into a kiss.  He broke away faster than he would have liked, but he knew Law wouldn’t take _that_ long to find the gauze and ointment, and when he turned to look at the door the surgeon was standing there with a look on his face Sanji couldn’t read.  It reminded him a little too much of what he’d seen the day before when Law had walked in on them in bed, and considering what had happened after that…

“You should…ah…” Zoro blinked at him before stepping back. 

“Yeah,” Sanji nodded, leaning back against the counter again as Law came into the room, face carefully schooled into neutrality again. 

Sanji told himself it was probably his imagination that Law touched his skin directly as little as possible while he was working, or that his touches in general were far more formal than usual, but he couldn’t be sure. 

000

“I’m sorry if I interrupted your…moment this morning,” Law was wearing those damned sunglasses again so Sanji couldn’t see his eyes, and as a result it was almost impossible to tell if he was making light of it or not.  “You seemed to be having a rather intense connection.”

“Zoro’s always intense,” Sanji replied, digging his toes into the sand and feeling the half-wet ground crumble between them.  “Seriously.”

“Don’t play me for a fool, Sanji,” Law murmured, and this time Sanji’s name dropping from his lips _did_ sound scathing.  “You and he are cultivating something that’s been building for several years, by all accounts, and it’s something that even I with my limited time being around you can tell has the potential to be incredibly strong.  I’m in the way of that, no matter how you perceive it…”

“We’ve been _over_ this, shitty surgeon,” Sanji groaned.  “And seriously, if you’re going to wallow in self-pity again I’m fucking walking away and never speaking to you again.”

“Don’t,” Law grabbed his wrist, something panicked in his voice.  Sanji immediately felt bad and settled down again, staring out at the ocean. 

The day had gotten bright and warm after the storm of the night before and they were sitting in the shade of a large palm, out of the way enough that they’d see anybody coming long before they’d be noticed themselves.  Sanji wasn’t necessarily that worried about anybody on the crew finding them out anymore, since half of them knew already, but he knew Law wanted the privacy. 

The cook went back to flipping through the book he’d brought, a collection of recipes he’d managed to borrow from the resident chef at the Inn.  It was full of local delicacies and sauces made from ingredients found on the island, and he was getting a lot of good ideas for the varieties of fish he’d seen in abundance at the market. 

He heard Law shifting before he felt a hand on his back, and when he turned to glance at Law the other man was staring at him like he’d never seen him before. 

“I want this,” Law said quietly, guilt lacing his tone.  “I can’t think of the last time I wanted something and allowed myself to…to have it, much less when it was so freely offered.  I know you told me not to worry about what’s happening between you and Mr. Zoro, but I don’t want to be the reason that you and he won’t be able to become everything you could if you didn’t have a third party lurking.”

“Trust me, Zoro and I will work it out just fine,” Sanji patted Law’s leg, setting his book aside and swinging himself over to straddle the other man’s lap.  “I want you, too, you know.  I’m not doing this as some sort of…favor to you because secretly I despise it but I want to protect your feelings or something,” he wrinkled his nose.  “I thought you’d figured that out.”

“I have,” Law admitted.  “I doubt myself entirely too often but I know that you…you like me.”

“Damn right I do.  And I was serious when I said I’d leave if you started closing off again,” he added, trying to sound as serious as possible. 

He was, both because it was way too draining to constantly be reassuring Law and also because Law really _had_ no reason to worry about it.  

“I’ll try to stop,” Law replied, and Sanji figured he’d have to be content with that for now. 

“Good,” Sanji leaned down so their foreheads were resting together, holding himself there and feeling Law lean back against the tree.  “Anyway, this morning…you were going to tell me something and I kind of talked right over you, so what was it?” he opened his eyes, looking directly into Law’s golden ones. 

“Nothing,” Law said, far too quickly to be convincing. 

“You used my name for like only the second time ever right before.  It wasn’t ‘nothing,’” Sanji made sure Law knew he wasn’t going to accept some bullshit excuse by keeping his voice as dry as possible, and after a tense few seconds Law sighed. 

“I think I’m…” he paused, biting his lower lip nervously.  He looked a little afraid, something that Sanji wasn’t used to seeing from him.  “I don’t think telling you would be beneficial to our current relationship and might in fact be a detriment to…”

“Fucking _tell me,”_ Sanji growled, fingers digging into Law’s shoulders. 

“I think I might be a little in love with you,” Law said it so fast that Sanji wasn’t sure he’d heard it right, but when it registered in his brain the surprise he’d thought the words would bring just…wasn’t there. 

Of course Law was.  It was fucking obvious, and Sanji knew damn well the man would never admit it unless it was true.  He wrapped his arms around Law’s shoulders and buried his face against the older man’s neck, feeling Law embrace him almost as tightly and trying to fight down the veritable surge of emotion that coursed through him. 

“It’s okay if you are,” Sanji mumbled against his neck, although part of him wanted to laugh at the irony of him starting to feel exactly the way he was so pissed off at Law about.  _He_ didn’t deserve having two guys as special as Law and Zoro _both_ having feelings for him, because he was just some fucking cook.  Yeah, he was good at what he did, but Law and Zoro had goals that were so much bigger than he could ever fathom when all he wanted to do was find a magic ocean. 

In the long run, that was pretty lame compared to what everybody else was trying to accomplish, but both of them had _still_ risked their own lives to save him from those bounty hunters.

Fuck, he was a mess, he thought bitterly, and he had no right to gripe at Law about it when his own sense of self-worth was pretty fucking non-existent a lot of the time. 

Maybe that’s why they’d been drawn to each other, he thought, and maybe that wasn’t a _bad_ thing, but this was all so new.  Still, he kept telling Law to stop thinking so hard about things that were remarkably simple and it was advice that he should probably follow as well. 

“I apologize if…”

“No.  Don’t ever apologize for how you feel,” Sanji said firmly.  “You’re a fucking beautiful person, and maybe the two of us were never supposed to end up like this but I’m never gonna take advantage of your feelings,” he vowed, because that was one thing he _could_ promise.  “You’re gonna find somebody one day that can give you everything, but if I can help in the meantime…well, like I said, it’s not like I hate it,” he grinned and Law chuckled a little, looking immensely relieved. 

“I do appreciate that,” he admitted, leaning in to kiss Sanji, but before their lips could meet Sanji heard a rather high-pitched voice from behind them squeak and he spun around. 

“I’m so sorry!” Chopper was flailing his hooves, eyes squeezed shut.  “I wanted to ask Torao a question, I didn’t know!”

“It’s fine, Chopper,” Sanji got off of Law and sank down beside him again.  “Don’t worry about it.”

“O-okay,” Chopper swallowed heavily and plodded closer, a heavy book held in his arms.  “I wanted to know if you’d look at this with me?  I know we’re both from cold places and this is a list of plants and animals found on summer islands like this one…the man at the bookstore said it lists what’s good to eat and what’s poisonous, and I thought…” he wriggled a little, holding the book out. 

Law glanced over at Sanji, brow furrowed, but he did accept it.  “I think that would be very useful, Mr. Tony, because you’re right in that my…experience with warm-weather flora and fauna is limited.  I’d be happy to look over it with a talented doctor such as yourself,” he stated. 

“Don’t say that, you asshole!  That doesn’t make me happy at all!” Chopper’s wriggling intensified and Sanji didn’t bother to hide his laughter either at that or at the shocked look on Law’s face when Chopper plopped himself right into Law’s lap, holding the book so they could both see it. 

He decided to leave them be, happy to see Law was finally letting his walls down enough to bond a little with the rest of the crew, and went to go see what the others were up to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Well, I had intended that chapter to be pure fluff but I see some angst snuck in there anyway…still, I think it was fluffier than most of my chapters, at least?
> 
> 2\. Thanks as always to everyone for continuing to read and comment on this fic!


	16. Chapter 16

“Enjoying yourself?”

“Isn’t Law gonna bitch at you for getting your dressing wet?” Zoro didn’t open his eye, head leaned back against the edge of the rock pool.  He was the picture of relaxation, although Sanji knew if he sensed even the slightest hint of danger he’d be out of the water with his swords drawn in a matter of seconds. 

“He said I could take it off tomorrow anyway, so a few hours early isn’t gonna be a problem,” Sanji dipped one toe into the steaming water experimentally, leg sliding in a few more inches when he decided the heat was bearable. 

The hot springs were up a short path behind the Inn, a series of natural pools that meant the patrons could enjoy them in relative privacy.  The one Zoro had chosen was especially secluded, surrounded by jungle foliage so thick that if Sanji hadn’t known there was a bustling town only a few steps away he’d have thought they were far away from human civilization. 

The air was sticky away from the cooling breeze of the ocean, summer-hot even as the last rays of the sun sank beyond the horizon.  As if on cue, lights sprung up around the edge of the pool, a soft white glow that made everything feel almost ethereal.  Zoro’s eye popped open, sensing the change in light, but it slid closed slowly once he’d decided there was no danger. 

“You did interrupt us this morning, you know,” Sanji had slid a little farther into the pool so that the water was lapping at his knees.  He shed his towel, hissing as he sank fully into the pool.  The water just brushed the tips of his shaggy hair once he was settled, heat seeping into his muscles and relaxing all of the tension in his body. 

Fuck, he should have come here days ago. 

“In the shower?” Zoro’s words were slightly slurred, as if he were falling asleep.  “Thought so.”

“You said we could fool around…”

“I know,” Zoro waved a hand, dismissing his words.  “I wasn’t trying to cut you guys off…I really did have to piss.”

“Hnn,” Sanji believed him, simply because Zoro wasn’t that malicious.  “Still…you should make it up to me.”

“I told you, I’m not ready for…” Zoro cut off when Sanji pushed himself off the wall, swimming swiftly across the small pool and coming to rest right beside the swordsman. 

“You _owe_ me, Marimo,” Sanji reached to trace the line of Zoro’s collarbone with his index finger, barely touching the other man’s tanned skin but seeing how Zoro shivered even at the promise of a firmer touch.  “Let me get you off, hmm?”

“You…”

“Trust me,” Sanji leaned in, breath hot on Zoro’s ear, causing his earrings to chime softly.  “It’s better when somebody else does it,” his fingers slid down Zoro’s chest, over the raised skin of his scar, and he let his palm rest just below the other man’s navel. 

“Okay,” Zoro’s voice was tight.  “Just…”

“Just this,” Sanji nodded, inching his fingers down until he felt coarse hair underneath them.  He knew it was green, because he _had_ seen Zoro naked…being on a small ship kind of made it impossible not to have run into each other unclothed at least a few times, but for once he didn’t feel the urge to make fun of the swordsman for it. 

For as reluctant as Zoro seemingly was, his cock was starting to take interest in their activities.  He was half-hard already, a tiny grunt escaping from his throat when Sanji wrapped his palm around the heated skin and stroked him to full arousal.  There was a part of him that felt almost giddy at what he was about to do, because he’d wanted this for _so long._

“So?” Sanji pressed his lips to Zoro’s neck, dragging his tongue along the skin and up to his ear again.  “Does it feel good?”

Zoro let out a sound that was mostly just a jumble of noises but Sanji took it to be an affirmative, so he kept stroking.  His pace was slow, leisurely, dragging his fingers up the shaft and flicking his wrist a little at the end, something that caused Zoro to make a sort of sub-vocal noise.

“So…how do I…compare?” Zoro asked after a long few moments, mouth hanging open slightly and body taut against the threat of finishing too quickly. 

“What?” Sanji’s mouth hadn’t left Zoro’s skin, mapping every inch of it with his lips and tongue as he finally kissed his way up to Zoro’s mouth. 

“Y’know…is he bigger than I am?” Zoro looked so _serious_ that Sanji almost burst out laughing, but that would have killed the mood rather harshly so he tried to rein it in and succeeded in just giggling a little. 

“What does it matter?” he finally got his mirth under control.  “He’s not here right now.”

“ _Cook,”_ Zoro growled.  Sanji rolled his eyes but kept his hand moving, never faltering in his rhythm.  He knew Zoro would try to hold out as long as possible because he looked at _everything_ as a challenge, but Sanji was determined to break him down before the end. 

“A little,” he finally admitted, keeping his voice neutral.  “But he’s a few inches taller, so that’s normal.  You’re certainly not _small,_ though,” Sanji murmured in the other man’s ear, pressing his thumb into the slit at the tip of Zoro’s cock, and _that_ earned him a rather shocked gasp.  “Nobody can hear us,” Sanji continued, going back to stroking.  “Be as loud as you want.”

“ _He’s_ not loud, is he?”

“Can you stop fucking talking about Law?” Sanji flicked his wrist a little too sharply and Zoro grunted.  “It’s not a contest.”

“But you like him,” Zoro said it so bluntly, so matter-of-fact, that Sanji felt his hand falter.  “You like sex with him, and if he’s good at it…” he frowned, brow furrowed. 

“Oh, fuck,” Sanji sighed.  Zoro wasn’t somebody who ever wanted to seem out of his element, and it made sense that he’d try to emulate somebody he thought knew what they were doing, but… “It doesn’t _matter_ if he’s good at it, Marimo,” he dropped his hand because he wanted Zoro’s full attention for what he was going to say next.  “I don’t want to have sex with you because I want you to try and be some copy of Law. I want to have sex with you because I’m in love with you, and it doesn’t fucking _matter_ how much experience you have.  The fact that it’s _you_ is all I care about,” he stared straight at Zoro the entire time, not allowing the other man to break eye contact. 

“So…”

“So don’t worry so much about what Law would do and just do whatever feels right,” Sanji dropped his voice again, wrapping his hand back around Zoro’s cock and starting up a fast pace. 

Zoro grit his teeth, breathing out through his nose.  Sanji could feel his muscles tighten as he tried to hold off his orgasm and he wasn’t having any of that this time around.  “Don’t fight it,” he purred into Zoro’s ear, twining the fingers of his free hand in Zoro’s hair before yanking the other man into a kiss. 

Zoro panted against his lips, mouth open, and Sanji took advantage of that to work his lips farther apart and slide his tongue into Zoro’s mouth.  He closed his eyes and sank into the kiss, feeling Zoro respond slowly and flick his own tongue against Sanji’s.  The other man was a fast learner. 

“Sanji…fuck, I…” he groaned, and yeah, Sanji was gonna have to get used to the fact that Zoro could fucking talk even with his mouth occupied as it was, especially since he couldn’t do the same. 

Sanji tightened his fingers in Zoro’s hair, not breaking the kiss as he jerked his wrist as fast as he could.  Zoro’s entire body stiffened and he let out a surprised grunt, Sanji pulling away from his mouth so he could watch. 

Zoro’s cock was twitching, pulsing thin streams of cum into the hot water.  He groaned and slumped back against the wall of the pool, tiny aftershock spasms making his hips jerk.  His face and upper chest were flushed, eye half-open and nearly black with arousal, and Sanji let himself take a moment to bask in the knowledge that he was the first person to _ever_ see Zoro this way. 

And that Zoro had been so far gone to use his name was another source of pride, since Sanji couldn’t recall Zoro really ever using it in the past.  He wasn’t sure what it said about him that it had been a struggle to get both of the men he was involved it to call him by his real name at _all,_ but it felt damn good to know he’d succeeded in getting them to do it. 

“Damn,” Zoro muttered, and it wasn’t the most eloquent response although Sanji knew what he meant by it.  “You…”

“Was it awful?” Sanji asked, tickling his fingers under Zoro’s chin and raising a curled eyebrow at him. 

“No.  Felt good,” Zoro apparently currently only had the ability to speak in broken sentences, but a grin slid slowly onto his face as his breathing calmed down.  “Do you need…”

“Not if…fucking _shit,_ Zoro!” Sanji wasn’t expecting Zoro to just _grab_ his cock, and he flailed a little, shoving at Zoro’s chest. 

“What?”

“Okay, lesson number one: it’s not a fucking sword hilt,” he grumbled, reaching to take Zoro’s wrist and guiding his hand slowly.  “Gently, you oaf.”

Zoro cupped him carefully this time, thumb running along the head of his cock and a look of wonder on his face.  He took Sanji words to heart, touching him now with the same reverence he’d shown that morning. 

“As fast as you want, just…take it easy on the grip,” he latched an arm around Zoro’s neck and kissed him again as Zoro started to stroke.  There wasn’t really any finesse involved, which led Sanji to believe that he truly _had_ only seen jerking off as some sort of chore in the past and had never taken the time to properly explore his own body, but the friction and the knowledge that it was _Zoro_ doing it were enough to make arousal settle hot in his stomach.

He gasped and whined a little, thrusting his hips into Zoro’s hand.  “You’re so loud,” the other man chuckled.  Sanji blushed and tried to keep his cries in but the other man shook his head.  “No, keep…it’s really hot,” he latched his mouth onto Sanji’s neck in a move that seemed like pure instinct, teeth scraping his throat.  Sanji moaned, not even attempting to be quiet now that he knew Zoro liked it. 

Even with Zoro’s rather rough technique he could feel his orgasm building, toes curling in the water and fingers digging into Zoro’s shoulders.  “Zoro…fuck, ‘m gonna…”

“Yeah.  Do it,” Zoro mumbled against his skin, so Sanji did, muttering a litany of ‘fuckfuckfuckfuck _fuck!’_ until he was too out of breath to do more than pant, groaning when Zoro’s hand didn’t stop moving right away.  “Zo _ro,”_ he whined, over-sensitive now, and Zoro stopped immediately. 

He half-drifted, fingers stroking gently through the soft hair at the nape of Zoro’s neck.  Zoro nuzzled his shoulder and looked up.  “Was that…was that okay?”

“For your first time?  Yeah.  Obviously,” Sanji stretched his body out, letting his muscles relax.  “We’ll work on it.”

“Hmm.  Okay.  We should get out before anybody realizes we…” he pointed to the water and Sanji _would_ have felt guilty if it hadn’t of been exactly what the two of them had needed. 

“Yeah,” Sanji pushed himself to sit on the edge of the pool, glancing down and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that while of course the gauze was wet, there was still no blood on it.  Law wouldn’t kill him, at least. 

He walked back to his towel and fastened it around his waist, giving Zoro a grin as they headed back to the Inn. 

000

“I should be angry with you.”

“Hmm, yeah, but you’re not,” Sanji took the cigarette from between his lips, blowing out a thin stream of smoke that spiraled up into the clear night sky.  “Where’s Zoro?”

“Getting a drink, I presume,” Law’s tone was dry and dismissive.  “I see you’re engaging in your normal post-coital routine, so I can only assume what your trip to the hot springs involved.”

“I smoke all the time,” Sanji waved the cigarette, holding it casually between two fingers and picking up his coffee cup with his free hand. 

“Don’t play me for a fool,” Law growled.  Sanji finally looked over his shoulder, although Law was standing with his back to the lit room so his face was shadowed and unreadable. 

“Fine, then.  Yeah.  We messed around,” Sanji pulled his knees up and sipped at his coffee, thinking that there were few things more perfect than being underneath the stars with a warm drink in his hand.  It would be even better if the present company didn’t have the aura of an icicle. 

“I see,” Law sounded a little unsure now and Sanji stuck the cigarette back between his lips so he could crook his finger toward the surgeon, watching him walk slowly over.  He stretched his legs out and patted his lap.  Law gave him a rather incredulous look before sighing and seating himself, wrapping his arms around Sanji’s neck and holding on tightly. 

It was a rather forward display of affection but Sanji didn’t exactly _mind_ since Law being vulnerable was still a rarity.  He knew how huge it was that the other man didn’t think twice about showing that in front of Sanji now. 

“Did he meet your expectations?” Law murmured after a few moments, and Sanji tried to hide in a snort at that one. 

“I thought he was going to fucking yank my cock off to start with,” he muttered, hearing Law snicker.  “It wasn’t funny!”

“Mr. Zoro seems like a man who’s often unaware of his own strength.”

“Yeah.  Well, after I clued him in he figured it out pretty fast,” Sanji reached to butt out his cigarette and shifted to hold Law properly, nose buried in his fluffy hair.  “You’re not going to try and talk me out of keeping things up with you again, are you?” he _thought_ Law was past that, but after tonight…

“No.  You’ve made it quite clear you wouldn’t accept my excuses, regardless.”

Sanji hummed, running his hands up and down the back of Law’s sweater, the fabric soft under his fingertips.  “You still have a promise to keep,” Sanji reminded him. 

“I took the device to Mr. Franky this afternoon, and while he certainly seemed confused as to what it was, he did assure me that it would be fixed within a couple of days,” Law’s tone made it impossible to tell if he was actually looking _forward_ to it being repaired, but Sanji knew he wouldn’t have done that in the first place if he didn’t want it. 

“Good,” he mumbled into Law’s hair.  They were silent after that, something completely comfortable between them now that Sanji knew he couldn’t lose. 

 It had taken far too long to get to that point with Law, after all. 

The floorboards in the room creaking made him look up, spotting Zoro standing just inside the threshold.  He could feel Law go rigid in his arms, breath quickening to an almost alarming rate. 

The swordsman gave Sanji a completely unreadable look before he steeled himself and moved forward, stopping just in front of them.  He raised one hand, letting it hover in the air for a few tense moments before gently setting it between Law’s shoulders, thumb rubbing the back of Law’s neck. 

Law let out a shaky breath at the action, his body slowly relaxing again.  Sanji looked up and gave Zoro a rather appraising glance because, honestly, he was impressed.  Sure, he knew that Zoro and Law didn’t _actually_ hate each other, but this was going a lot farther than just being civil for Sanji’s sake. 

“It’s late,” Zoro murmured, pulling his hand away.  “I’m gonna head to bed, so if you guys want…”

“Yeah.  We’ll be right there,” Sanji promised.  Zoro pursed his lips and nodded, heading back into the room. 

“By ‘we’ you mean…”

“Law,” Sanji groaned, but he felt the other man smile against his neck and knew that there wouldn’t be any objection from him.  Law unfurled his legs and stood up, stretching out his back.  Sanji picked up his now-cold coffee and ran a hand through his hair, stopping beside Law and nudging him gently with his elbow. 

"I have to question your logic, though, seeing as how Mr. Zoro was the one who interrupted  _us_ and yet instead of finishing what we'd started you went to him instead," Law noted, lifting his hand to press against the small of Sanji's back.

Sanji snorted, knowing well enough by now that Law was only teasing and wasn't really irritated. "I'll make it up to you," he promised, because he was starting to get a few ideas already, "but it's going to be on my terms."

He spun away from Law, walking backwards into the room and never breaking eye contact until he'd reached the bathroom door.

Emptying the cold coffee into the sink, he watched the brown liquid swirl away down the drain. All things considered, tonight had turned out better than he'd first expected. He still hadn't been entirely convinced that Zoro would let him go so far, and that he did could only be seen as a positive thing.

He rinsed out the mug and set it beside the sink, plodding back into the room proper and not being at all surprised that Law and Zoro were both sitting on the bed but trying to stay as far away from each other as possible. 

Sanji huffed out an annoyed breath through his nose, sliding his robe off of his shoulders and placing it on a chair.  He climbed onto the bed between them and threw back the covers, settling himself comfortably. 

Zoro eventually moved first, spooning himself up against Sanji’s back and setting a hand on his waist, thumb stroking over his hipbone.  He’d always known the swordsman had a rather large soft side, but it wasn’t something that had been directed at him in the past very often.

Or, well, ever. 

It didn’t feel nearly as unnatural as he’d first feared, though, and he knew that even though there were obvious feelings between them…from _both_ sides now…he and Zoro were probably always going to bicker and try to annoy the hell out of each other. 

That was just how they were, after all, and Sanji actually didn’t _want_ to lose that because it had been a long time since the barbs between them were serious in any way. 

He stared at Law’s back, eventually reaching out a hand and sliding it down his shirt.  Law made a low sound in his throat that sounded both resigned and frustrated, but he stripped the sweater off and flopped back against the pillows, turning his body toward Sanji yet not lying quite close enough to touch. 

“C’mere, idiot,” Sanji tugged at his wrist.  Law shuffled closer, eyes shining gold in the low light.  Zoro lifted his hand from Sanji’s hip, stretching his arm so that it landed on Law’s shoulder instead.  Law narrowed his eyes, a questioning murmur escaping his throat, but Zoro didn’t move his hand. 

Sanji slung his arm over Law’s waist, tucking his head under the surgeon’s chin and kissing his chest.  “Go to sleep,” he mumbled.  “Stop thinking so hard.”

Law finally moved an arm around his shoulders, something still not entirely relaxed about the way he was holding his body. 

“Do you really love him?” Zoro spoke suddenly, voice loud in the silence.  Law nodded sharply, body tensing again. “Then stop being a wimp about it.  I know you’ve lost people, so that should teach you to hold the people you love that are still around as fucking tight as you can.”

Law didn’t say anything, but his breathing was harsh, sounding like he was holding in some sort of strong emotion.  He tightened his arm protectively around Sanji.   

“Good,” Zoro didn’t move his hand from Law’s shoulder, keeping them all connected.  Maybe it should have felt stifling, but instead of making him anxious like being closed-in normally did, he just felt…safe. 

And that was something he’d never take for granted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Ugh, I’m not sure about this chapter…mostly because I received a comment a few days ago that was a rather harsh critique of my writing style/character interpretations and I’ve been second-guessing everything ever since. I know my writing’s not perfect and that my descriptions can be rather blunt at times, but writing fanfiction is purely a hobby for me. While I want to create interesting plots with characters that still resemble their canon selves, and I do take grammar and sentence structure rather seriously, I overall want people to enjoy my writing (and, of course, to enjoy writing what I do). So yes, I do realize that I tend not to go for extended description, and while I’m trying to improve upon that, it’s something that I struggle with due to having ADD and truthfully there’s only so much description I can take before I start to entirely zone out, whether it be reading it or writing it myself. Still, I’m aware that it’s a flaw in my writing style, but I mostly think that writing style is subjective regardless and that if everybody wrote exactly the same way following the exact same conventions the fanfiction landscape would be very boring…
> 
> 2\. Um, I don’t have much else to say about the chapter in general, but I hope it was satisfactory…


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does contain top!Sanji for anybody who wanted a heads up about that.

“You know what you’re at the perfect height for?”

“Hmm, well, it’s not exactly hard for me to _guess,”_ Law sounded completely deadpan, his face expressionless, but a grimace flitted across his features when he tried to roll his shoulders back.  “I have to point out that this is, in fact, extremely uncomfortable.”

“Yes, the reason those bounty hunters were using it as a torture device was because they wanted to make their prisoners _comfortable,”_ Sanji snorted, which earned him a pointed glare. 

Law shifted as much as he could, spreading his knees apart to keep his balance.  The wooden floor was covered by a plush rug, at least, so Sanji knew that it had to be better than when he was stuck kneeling on a stone floor.  Still, Law would be feeling it sooner rather than later and he didn’t want to leave him stuck like that for too long. 

The room they were in was almost a direct copy of the other rooms in the Inn, although Law’s promise that there was more privacy was certainly well-founded.  It sat on the corner of the Inn, the balcony facing away at enough of an angle that anybody outside wouldn’t be visible from any other room.  It still half-faced the ocean, the partial view completed by the thick foliage of the jungle on the other side.  It was, Sanji thought, the perfect honeymoon suite. 

…only, of course, most honeymoons probably wouldn’t play out like this. 

He reached to grip Law’s chin, forcing his gaze up.  He could see _why_ the other man had been so adamant about getting the contraption fixed, because while it was massively uncomfortable, it forced whoever was in it into an inherently vulnerable position and that was kind of hot. 

Okay, it was really fucking hot, especially because Sanji knew he was probably the only person alive that Law would _do_ this for. 

“You can get out if you need to, right?” Sanji let go of the other man, walking around the bed to set a bottle of oil down on the nightstand for later.  He was trying to tamp down his arousal, knowing he needed to be composed because he wasn’t going to lose his control and have this be over too early. 

The chances of Law ever agreeing to it again were probably non-existent, after all.

Law rolled his shoulders forward, gritting his teeth and trying to shift his hands in their leather cuffs.  He finally got his palms angled toward the floor, elbows locked unnaturally straight.  “Room,” he muttered, the circle materializing around him, and he let it drop a second later.  “It’s not easy, but yes.”

“Good.  If I do anything you’re not okay with and you need to get out…”

“I can, but I won’t need to,” Law shook his head, and the amount of trust he had in Sanji still kind of floored him because Law didn’t seem to trust _anybody_.  “Stop thinking so hard,” he purred, shifting his shoulders back a little more.  “And fuck my mouth already.”

“ _Fuck.”_

That was all the invitation Sanji needed and he was across the room in an instant.  He barely had time to prepare himself before Law was straining toward him, licking at his cock and growling at the fact that he really couldn’t lean forward too far without overbalancing. 

Sanji moved closer, choking back a moan at how eagerly Law took him in, sliding his mouth down until Sanji’s cock nudged the back of his throat.  He was breathing harshly through his nose, staring up at Sanji with lust-blown eyes that held no fear at all.  Last time Law been the one calling the shots and Sanji hadn’t even gotten to _look_ at him, but this time he told himself to take everything in, and the sight wasn’t something he was going to forget anytime soon. 

He tangled his fingers in Law’s hair, hearing him murmur appreciatively around Sanji’s length, and started to slowly move his hips.  Law took everything in stride, lips and tongue working in a way that Sanji knew would bring him apart much faster than he ideally wanted to. 

Law’s eyes were half-closed now, throat working to adjust every time Sanji thrust in.  He was making little grunting noises, almost too soft to hear, lips stretched wide and breath coming harsh through his nose. 

Sanji decided it was safe to let himself drift for a few seconds, so he did, head thrown back and letting all of his focus narrow down to Law’s mouth: all wet, tight heat, but he knew it couldn’t compare to the feeling of actually being _inside_ the other man and, well, he’d never exactly been _patient._

He forced his eyes open and looked down again, seeing by just the set of Law’s shoulders and the furrow across his brow that he was starting to feel the strain of keeping his body upright, and Sanji knew it was time. 

“Okay, enough,” he pulled back too far for Law to follow, fingers still clenched in his hair, and tried to compose himself.  “I’m gonna fuck you now.”

Law nodded, lips red and used, a flush starting to spread over his neck and down his chest.  He was shaking a little, although whether that was because of the position he was stuck in or in anticipation of what to come Sanji wasn’t certain. 

“I’m gonna get this off you, okay?” the blond leaned down and Law nodded, sighing in relief when Sanji unhooked the bar and pulled it away.  He had a brief moment of inspiration and instead of removing the wrist cuffs decided to attach them to each other still behind the older man’s back, leaving them and the black leather collar still adorning Law’s body. 

“I thought you said ‘off,’” Law’s voice was hoarse, used, and it was hotter than it had any right to be. 

“I think I’ll leave these on, if that’s okay with you,” Sanji tugged at the ring on the front of the collar, pulling Law into a kiss and tasting his own pre-cum, musky and slightly bitter, on Law’s tongue.  “Come on,” he tugged at Law’s arm, helping him to his feet, and drew him over to the bed.   

He lay back against the pillows, pulling Law over to straddle his lap and reaching for the oil.  “Lift your hips,” he murmured, slicking his fingers and stroking Law’s cock a couple of times, earning a tiny gasp as he moved his hand farther back. 

The first finger slid into Law’s body with no resistance at all, something that made him frown. 

“I…might have done that beforehand,” Law had the grace to look guilty about it, at least.  “I realize that although preparation is essential, it rather slows down the process, and I thought…”

“You’re a bastard,” Sanji added two more fingers, curling them to press against the other man’s prostate, and Law gasped again, body moving on instinct toward the touch.  “Look at me,” he kept his fingers there until Law did, a tiny whine escaping his throat.  “I don’t want you to hold back, so this is how it’s gonna go: don’t hold in any sounds you want to make, and since you’re so fond of doing it to me, don’t come until I give you permission,” he growled, reaching up with his free hand to brush his thumb over one of Law’s dusky nipples.  There was a thrill in his chest, because Law was one of the most powerful and feared men in the _world,_ maybe, and he was completely at Sanji’s mercy.  “Understood?”

Law nodded, gritting his teeth, and Sanji pulled his fingers out.  He tugged at Law’s elbow, guiding him up to hold himself in position.  Using the excess oil from his hand, he stroked himself a few times, making sure his cock was fully-slicked before his hands moved to grip Law’s hips.  “Okay?”

“Yes.  Do it,” Law lowered himself, hissing when the tip of Sanji’s cock entered his body.

“Relax for me,” Sanji murmured, watching Law’s face carefully for any sign he was in real pain. 

“I apologize, it’s been a long time and I…”

“Law,” Sanji felt that pressure or _something_ in his chest again, like a hand squeezing his heart, except this time he realized with a rather startling clarity what it was.  The words came out before he could stop them, something about seeing Law so vulnerable making him feel safe about saying them.  “I want you to…I…” he swallowed and tightened his fingers.  “I think I’m a little in love with you, too.”

Law’s entire body went slack, which wasn’t really Sanji’s intention but he pulled Law’s hips down anyway, thrusting up and burying his cock in the tight heat of Law’s ass.  “Oh, fuck.  _Shit,”_ Law let out a sound that was almost a sob, something so broken that Sanji half-expected him to pull up a Room and warp himself out of there, but he settled his knees on the bed instead and nodded.  “You…tell me you didn’t just say that to…”

“Fuck.  No.  I do,” Sanji gripped Law’s ass, moving him forward and screwing his hips up in the same motion.  “I’d never…”

“I know that.  I…” Law leaned forward as much as he could without over-balancing and Sanji arched his back up to meet him, kissing him tenderly.  “I’m good.  Please, continue,” he visibly collected himself, smirking and straightening up while starting to circle his own hips, and Sanji grinned because he knew they’d be fine. 

He kept his hands on Law’s hips, holding him steady as he found his rhythm.  Law still wasn’t extremely loud, seeming to prefer stuttered breaths and sharp inhales to any sort of actual moaning, but it was still fucking _hot_ because he was coming apart and Sanji was there to witness every second of it. 

The tight suction around his cock was intense, and with how close he’d been before they’d even started this it didn’t take long for Sanji to feel his orgasm building.  He snapped his hips up faster, Law rolling his body back to meet every thrust.   “Fuck, I’m…” he choked out, but Law didn’t even seem to hear him, eyes half-closed and face tilted toward the ceiling. 

He clenched his ass around Sanji’s cock, the extra bit of pressure all that was needed, and Sanji couldn’t hold back his orgasm any longer, hands sliding up Law’s back and face pressed to his stomach, body bent nearly in half as he came with a cry.  His hips kept pumping with tiny aftershocks as he rode it out, letting himself come down slowly because he wanted to savor every second of this. 

Law was still moving around, restless, trying to find any friction he could and whimpering softly when nothing seemed to be working.  

“Mm, c’mere,” Sanji rolled them over, reaching to unclip the cuffs from each other so at least Law could move his arms.  “Get yourself off for me,” he slid his fingers back into Law’s ass, slick and open now with both cum and oil, and pressed against his prostate again.  Law started to stroke himself, hand moving rapidly over his flushed cock. 

Sanji kept his fingers inside of Law’s body, feeling the doctor trying to fuck himself back onto them, and leaned over to kiss his way up Law’s sex-flushed chest.  He dragged his tongue over a now-peaked nipple, sucking gently on the hardened bud and, on a whim, giving a gentle nip with his teeth. 

Law groaned rather appreciatively at that so Sanji did it again, a little harder, feeling Law’s body tense underneath his. 

“No,” he said firmly, and Law _did_ whine then, a sound so full of need that Sanji felt his spent cock twitch at it.  “Not yet.”

Law gasped and thrashed on the bed, although to his credit he didn’t try to stop stroking himself.  Sanji could feel how tightly coiled Law’s body was, like a stretched bowstring waiting for release, and he knew it was time.

“Come.  Now,” he sealed his mouth over Law’s, capturing the startled sound he made, and felt Law’s cum spatter hot and sticky over his abs. 

Law grabbed at Sanji’s hair with his free hand, slowing the kiss down and pulling away, and Sanji flopped beside the surgeon and watched him for any sign that he’d taken it too far. 

The other man’s chest was heaving, body slick with sweat, but when he turned to look at Sanji there was a spark in his eyes that was so _alive_ and present that Sanji knew he was fine.  Law was somebody that could emotionally detach himself from any situation in a heartbeat, after all, so that he’d chosen not to made a rather solid statement all by itself.

“You’re fucking amazing,” Sanji leaned over to kiss him again and Law hummed, obviously pleased. 

“I could say the same for you,” he slid his hands over Sanji’s shoulders and down his back, pulling him up so they could kiss properly, and Sanji knew that today had been well worth the wait. 

000

“Pass that to me, would you?”

Sanji looked at the cigarette he was holding, frowning.  “Since when do you smoke?”

“I don’t, generally, but I feel the need for it right now.”

Shrugging, Sanji passed the half-smoked cigarette over, watching as Law inhaled with far too much finesse to have never smoked before.  He blew the smoke out slowly, tipping his head back and watching it swirl above them, the cigarette rather casually held between two fingers. 

“Was it too much?” the blond asked slowly, because Law certainly _looked_ relaxed even if he’d suddenly decided to become an expert at smoking a cigarette (and, Sanji thought absently, looking fucking hot while doing it, all sex-mussed and lounging with the sheet draped around his waist). 

“No,” Law sounded honest.  “In fact, it might have been something I’ve needed for a long time, even if I never quite envisioned myself doing some of what we did this afternoon.  You have quite the creative mind when it comes to it,” he grinned at Sanji then for a brief moment before ducking his head and breaking eye contact. 

The cook was struck speechless, half-wondering if he’d seen correctly.  He knew he had, though, as much as Law now had schooled his face into its normal expression of smug indifference.

“You smiled.”

“I did not,” Law waved his free hand in the air as if dismissing the entire idea outright.

“Don’t fuck with me, Trafalgar,” Sanji smacked his arm, not gently, and Law glared at him.  “You fucking _smiled!_ Do it again.”

“I assure you, it was a momentary lapse in judgement brought on by over-exhaustion and…”

“Law,” Sanji frowned, pursing his lips.  He wasn’t going to let Law just wave it off, not this time.  “You don’t have to hide from me.  You know that.”

“I do,” Law confirmed, passing the cigarette back and shifting so that he was half-propped up on his elbow, looking up at Sanji.  “It was a reflex, nothing more.”

“You’re so afraid to own up to the fact that you’re just as fucking human as the rest of us…”

“Did you mean it?  What you said when…” Law interrupted him and Sanji huffed.  He wondered where Law was going with this, even though the chances of getting an actual _answer_ from the older man instead of a series of increasingly frustrating riddles wasn’t very likely. 

“Of course.  I’m not so much of a bastard that I’d lie about that,” he replied, although in truth he was wondering if he’d come to regret it at some point. 

“Well, then,” Law shrugged his shoulders as if that answered all of Sanji’s questions, and the cook glared at him.  “I allowed myself to be more vulnerable than I’ve maybe ever been with somebody that I do truly care for, and that somebody has confirmed they feel the same way about me.  I’m…” he paused, biting his lip.  “Safe, and warm, and comfortable, and with people that I’ve come to trust and, despite myself, actually sort of like,” he sounded a little resigned and disappointed in himself at that revelation and Sanji had to snicker at that.  “Given all of those things, is it a surprise that I might be happy?”

“It’s a surprise you’d do anything to show it,” Sanji felt no small amount of pride both that Law was being rather forward about his feelings _and_ that he knew he was a large part of the reason Law _was_ happy at the moment. 

“As I said, it wasn’t something I did consciously.  Although I suppose it’s proof that I _do,_ in fact, remember how to smile.  Or my body does,” he amended, even though Sanji didn’t really believe him. 

Law was too in control of his own body to let it slip like that, so whether he was willing to admit it or not, he’d meant for Sanji to see him break character. 

“One day you’re gonna find somebody who makes you smile all the time,” Sanji wrapped his arms around his knees, staring out the window and watching the sun’s rays dapple the surface of the ocean, tiny waves lapping at the sand as the tide went out. 

Law didn’t answer except to shift around on the bed a little, and when Sanji looked over his shoulder he saw that the older man was just staring up at the ceiling, eyes narrowed. 

“I still have a hard time believing that,” Law finally said, but he kept speaking before Sanji could interject anything.  “Not because I don’t think it’s possible…I know it’s not, now, and I _am_ grateful to you for proving that to me…but rather because my lifestyle won’t allow it.  My choices are limited to rivals, temporary allies, or my own subordinates, which…no matter how they’d view it, _I’d_ see it as an abuse of power,” he sighed. 

“So what am I, then?” Sanji asked with a half-smile.  “I’m just a cook.  You’re a fucking _Warlord_ ,” he felt compelled to point out, and it wasn’t something he thought about much because Law was just…well, _Law,_ but the truth was he was a very powerful man. 

“You’re not my direct subordinate.  That makes it different enough,” Law turned away, leaving Sanji staring at his back.  He frowned and was about to speak again when there was a pounding on the door.

For his part, Law didn’t look inclined to move, so Sanji quickly pulled his slacks on and walked over, yanking it open.  “ _What?”_

“Um,” Zoro cleared his throat, hand half-raised to knock again, and Sanji felt his irritation melt away instantly.  Zoro had known what they’d been up to, of course, and at least this time he’d waited until they were actually finished to interrupt.  Still, the other man looked…nervous, and he was…

“Are you wearing a _tie?!”_

“Yeah.  Damn thing’s so uncomfortable I dunno how you can fight in one,” he pulled the knot away from his throat. 

“How did you even tie it?” Sanji had to admit, Zoro looked good.  He certainly cleaned up well, and considering most of the time he wore the same clothes for weeks on end, it was a welcome change.  It wasn’t a full suit, but he was wearing a rather flattering dress shirt that fit him perfectly, accenting the broadness of his chest and shoulders, and it was such a crisp white color and so free of wrinkles that Sanji knew it was something he’d likely bought earlier in the day.  His pants looked like his normal black ones, although the pair he’d chosen were free of wear and tear, and instead of boots he had on a pair of simple loafers.  His swords, of course, were still at his side, but all things considered he’d made a commendable effort.  For what, Sanji wasn’t entirely sure, but…

“Robin helped,” Zoro muttered, looking put-out at the fact. 

“I assume this is for a special occasion,” Sanji leaned against the doorframe with his hip, arms crossed.  “Or, at least, I don’t see you putting this much effort into your appearance without a damn good reason, so what’s up?”

“iwasgonnaaskyouonadate,” Zoro mumbled, much too fast and soft for Sanji to make out anything other than a garbled mush of words.  He blinked slowly, deciding after a few seconds that trying to decipher it was hopeless. 

“You wanna run that by me again?”

“A date,” Zoro snapped, looking shocked at himself.  “I mean…I want to ask you.  On one.  A date.  I’ll pay.”

And ah, yes, he’d reverted to caveman-speech again, which meant that he _was_ nervous.  Normally Sanji would have replied back in the same way just to mock him, but he was more than a little taken aback by the offer and the fact that Zoro was _trying_ meant that he’d let him off the hook this time without _too_ much teasing. 

It was sweet, and not much like something Zoro would willingly do, and that meant more to Sanji than any _actual_ date ever would.  Well, that and the fact that he was spending money on dinner and nice clothing instead of sake, which was amazing all by itself.

“Give me some time to get ready.  I have to look better than you, after all, or I’d ruin my image,” he reached out to tickle his fingers under Zoro’s chin, seeing a look of utter relief slide across the swordsman’s face for a brief moment. 

“Um,” Zoro shuffled his feet.  “What about…I mean, I guess he can come, but…”

“No,” Sanji said immediately, because this was something Zoro had done just _for him_ and while Law and Zoro weren’t entirely frosty toward each other any longer, there’d still be tension with both of them there. 

As much as it still made Sanji feel guilty to think it, Law _was_ kind of a third wheel, albeit one who was completely aware of that fact. 

“So you’ll…I thought we’d go to the place we were at last time, but…”

“ _Relax,_ Marimo.  It’s _me,”_ Sanji had to admit there were few things as endearing as Zoro being so fucking out of his element, but there was no reason for him to be.  “Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll meet you in the lobby,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss Zoro just below his ear.  He smelled clean, the sharp tang of soap still on his skin, and he must _really_ have been trying to impress Sanji if he’d have showered again today even after going into the hot springs the night before. 

“Okay,” Zoro nodded, pursing his lips and taking a sharp breath before he gripped Sanji’s chin lightly and softly kissed the corner of his mouth.  “Don’t be too long.  I, um, made a reservation in an hour, but…”

“Zoro, the restaurant’s _five minutes_ away.  People with a somewhat-functioning sense of direction couldn’t possibly take an hour to get there,” he snorted and Zoro bristled, although he could hardly say anything because it was true.  “I’ll be quick.”

Zoro nodded and turned around, heading down the hall.  Sanji moved back to the bed, knowing Law was awake by the tense set of his shoulders and the uneven breaths he was taking. 

“Hey,” he sat on the edge of the bed, fingers instinctively seeking out Law’s hair and stroking gently. 

“He really is putting in quite the effort,” Law looked up at him, something coy about his smile that eased all of Sanji’s own anxieties.  “It’s sweet.”

“So you don’t have a problem with it?”

“You really do need to stop asking permission and feeling bad for every decision you make when we’ve _all_ agreed to this little…arrangement,” Law pushed himself upright.  “I’m very, very honored that you care so much about my feelings even when you’re not obligated to, but you need to stop worrying so much about what either of us will think and just do what _you_ want.  The way I’m feeling, I’ll probably sleep through until morning anyway,” he muttered, and Sanji _did_ feel guilty for that one. 

“I’m…”

“Do _not_ apologize.  If I’d have wanted to stop, I’d have done so,” he half-closed his eyes and sighed heavily. 

“I’ll check in on you when we get back anyway, okay?” Sanji wasn’t sure _why_ he was so concerned, because he knew damn well if Law hadn’t been okay with anything he’d have made it very clear, but it still made Sanji feel kind of bad to just fuck and run, as it were.

“It’s unnecessary, but if you wish to…” Law’s voice had a strange lilt to it, something that was half-exhausted and half-unsure but entirely honest. 

Even if he’d never admit it, that alone told Sanji how much it meant to him to _have_ somebody be concerned.  And above all, Sanji wanted to let Law know that when he made a promise, even something as seemingly insignificant and walking a few doors down to say a quick goodnight, he would keep it. 

“I’ll be back later,” he slid his hand out of Law’s hair and stood up, leaving the other man to sleep and trying to decide what to wear on his…his stomach flipped pleasantly at the thought now… _date._

000

The evening, as it turned out, was lovely.

Zoro was trying his very best to be a perfect date, even going so far as to ask Sanji about the uses for the different utensils on the dinner table and getting him to translate some of the more exotic-sounding menu items.  From what Sanji could tell, he wasn’t just doing it to be nice, because Zoro wasn’t _that_ good of an actor, and being genuinely interested in the things Sanji considered his area of expertise was immensely flattering (he made a note to do the same the next time he saw Zoro practicing, because truth be told he knew almost _nothing_ about swords except that they were pointy and it hurt like a bitch to get injured by one, and he had a feeling they were a lot different than normal kitchen knives). 

Fuck, Zoro even shared a bottle of _wine_ with him (well, about four bottles by the time they were done, because ‘it’s like drinking water, Cook, how are people supposed even get a buzz from this shit?’) instead of ordering his normal ‘whatever the strongest thing you’ve got is’. 

As it was, by the time they were heading back to the Inn, Sanji was pleasantly tipsy and by the flush on Zoro’s cheeks, the swordsman was on his way to being there as well.  They stumbled into their room, pulling at clothes (Sanji felt a tiny pang of regret for Zoro’s shirt ending up on the floor but it passed quickly) and fell into bed half-dressed, wrapped around each other.  Zoro was kissing him with absolutely no hesitation this time, although whether that was the wine or some renewed confidence that Sanji wanted him despite his inexperience the blond couldn’t be sure. 

He grew tired quickly, especially now that he was lying down again, and soon their kisses were interrupted by a rather pronounced yawn from him.  “Fuck, sorry,” he mumbled, flopping against the pillows and giggling a little. “ ‘m…really tired.”

“You’re a…a lightweight,” Zoro hiccupped, seemingly unaware of his own state of intoxication. 

“Didn’t drink that much,” Sanji countered with a whine.  He wouldn’t be hung-over in the morning, at any rate, even though right now he was feeling _far_ too good.  “Stop talking and sleep, idiot.”

“Yeah.  Sleep,” Zoro agreed, passing out instantly half on-top of Sanji, and the cook rolled his eyes at the other man’s predictability. 

Still, it wasn’t like he was that inclined to move, especially since he had nowhere to go. 

A tiny niggling in the back of his brain informed him that he _did,_ in fact, have something he needed to do before he fell asleep, but he was far too comfortable to even consider moving at that moment. 

Besides, whatever it was, it probably wasn’t very important. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Argh, this chapter was the first time in this fic I’ve been struck with mini-writer’s block in that I knew what needed to happen but the words just weren’t coming, so I hope it turned out alright despite that. I also had a few different endings in mind ranging from ‘really angsty’ to ‘not angsty at all’ and I ended up with this one that’s rather ambiguous and I’m not sure if it works, but it felt the best while I was writing…
> 
> 2\. To my one concerned anon, I changed some of the lines in the last chapter and I hope it reads better now. I never want anything in this fic to come off as even remotely dubious where consent is concerned because that’s not the intent, so please do feel free to tell me if anything is even remotely unclear. There are times I forget that just because I view the fic a certain way doesn’t mean everybody will, but consent is something that’s very important to me and I don’t want anybody reading the fic to feel uncomfortable with any of the sexual situations in it. 
> 
> 3\. The lovely pieromachine drew art for this fic, from the scene with Law, Sanji and Chopper at the end of chapter 15 and it’s lovely and perfect and thank you so so so much (link goes to my tumblr: kikokus dot tumblr dot com /post/103108464776/ )
> 
> 4\. Thank you all so much for the kind words on the last chapter, I really do appreciate each and every comment and review I receive :)


	18. Chapter 18

“Shit!” he woke up out of a dead sleep, breathing as if he’d run a marathon.  The sky outside was just turning to grey, the sun not yet breaking free of the horizon, and there was a still mist over everything.  It was the type of morning that was perfect for staying in bed and watching the sun rise over the ocean, but he had more important things to worry about. 

Like the fact that he’d fucking made a promise and then forgotten about it completely once he’d had a little wine in his system. 

He was an asshole.

“Whazzat?” Zoro took longer to wake up, hands groping for swords that weren’t in arms reach, and he frowned, flailing his arms around rather comically before finally opening his eye.  “What…”

“I told Law I’d check on him before I went to bed and it’s morning now,” Sanji groaned and rubbed his eyes, already feeling a headache coming on.  “I need to…”

“ _That’s_ why you were screeching?” Zoro snorted.  “I thought we were under attack or something.”

“Zoro,” Sanji didn’t have the patience for Zoro’s bluntness this early in the morning.  “I made a fucking promise to him, and instead of remembering to walk a few steps down the hall I forgot about him completely the second I had some wine in my system.  So to him, I fucked him and left him there to go on a date with you, and then just never came back even though I said I would.”

“Well, when you put it like _that,”_ Zoro sighed, sitting up and rolling his shoulders back.  “Wait, he let you…”

“Shit.  Forget I said that,” Sanji squeezed his eyes shut and wondered if he could just sleep forever or something because apparently he couldn’t be trusted to keep his mouth shut on private issues, either. 

“Look, it’s probably not a big deal,” Zoro didn’t look like he understood why Sanji was even worked up in the first place.  “Go check on him now, if you really need to, but I’m sure he’s not mad at you or anything.”

“This is _Law._ He’s got, like, the weirdest mood swings,” Sanji muttered.  He wondered what it said about him that even now he wasn’t completely sure Law wouldn’t dismember him as soon as he got a little irritated, but…

“Do you want me to come with?” Zoro didn’t look thrilled at the idea, but Sanji knew he’d agree if he asked him directly. 

“Yeah.  Just in case,” he looked over at Zoro, reaching to tug lightly at a mussed tuft of green hair.  Zoro scowled but tossed the blankets back, getting to his feet.  He slid his discarded dress shirt over his shoulders, not bothering to button it up, and stood impatiently by the door. 

Sanji shrugged his own shirt on, fingers dipping into the pocket of his pants and finding the key to Law’s room there, which made him feel even more shitty because the reminder he needed had been on his body the entire time. 

The Inn was quiet this time of the morning, the hallways still and empty, and Sanji padded along quickly to Law’s room, letting himself in with the key.  To his eye, Law hadn’t moved at all since the evening before, still passed out on the bed with one arm hooked around a pillow, hugging it tightly. 

Sanji almost didn’t want to wake him, but he told himself to stop being a coward and crossed to the bed.  Sitting down lightly on the edge, he reached out to touch Law’s shoulder.  The older man startled awake at just that gentle touch, eyes snapping open.  “Hey,” Sanji whispered, not sure what else to say. 

Law sighed and relaxed more fully, grabbing Sanji’s hand and pressing a lazy kiss against his knuckles.  “Is it morning?”

“Yeah.  I know I said I’d come last night, but…”

“It’s fine,” Law didn’t release his hand.  “Honestly, I don’t think I woke up since you left, so I’d probably have been more annoyed if you’d have woken me up than I am that you forgot,” he raised an eyebrow, because of course excuses wouldn’t work on him. 

“Still, I said I would and…”

“Sanji,” Law said firmly, and the blond stopped talking.  “It’s fine.  I’m not even irritated in the slightest.  But it’s far too early to be up and speaking so I’m going back to sleep.”

He closed his eyes, letting his hand slip from Sanji’s, and went back to hugging his pillow.  Sanji looked back at Zoro, unsure if he was supposed to stay or not, and the swordsman rolled his eyes before removing his shirt and crossing over to the bed.  He flipped back a corner of the sheet and crawled under, sliding close to Law’s back

Sanji could see him moving his hand under the sheet, and a moment later his cheeks colored and he coughed awkwardly.  “Um.  Are…do you normally…”

“Yes, Mr. Zoro, it _is_ in fact quite normal to remain unclothed after engaging in sexual acts,” he muttered into the pillow, golden eyes snapping open a moment later when Zoro’s hand landed heavy on his back.  “If that makes you uncomfortable, I can find some pants,” he added, but the tone of his voice implied he’d rather Zoro just left. 

“Nah, I don’t really care.  Just wasn’t expecting it, ‘s all,” Zoro’s fingers were tracing the jolly roger tattooed on Law’s back, his brow furrowed.  Sanji honestly wasn’t sure _what_ he was up to anymore, especially since Law didn’t look comfortable at _all_ with Zoro being so close. 

“Do you want to explain to me what you’re doing?” Law glared over his shoulder, an aura radiating from him that was damn near murderous, but Zoro only grinned and kept his hand steady. 

“Tell me to stop,” he countered, stroking his fingers down Law’s skin again, and the surgeon sighed and flopped back onto his pillow. 

“I don’t mind,” he finally mumbled into the fabric.  “I just don’t…”

“Look, he says you deserve good things, and I trust him,” Zoro glanced up at Sanji, who snickered to himself because it took a lot for Zoro to actually admit that in front of somebody else.  “So I know you’re not as much of a bastard as you pretend to be, and this is all gonna be a hell of a lot easier if the two of us stop pretending to hate each other for no real reason.  If you want me to leave, I will, but I think it took so much for you to let down your walls around him that you don’t want to go through that again. 

“I don’t need to know about your past, and I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that the two of us are ever gonna have any sort of emotional bond like you and the Cook have, but the way I see it this whole thing is so fucked up anyway that trying to, I dunno, draw lines between you and him and him and me is only gonna make everything go to shit that much faster.” 

It was the most Sanji had heard Zoro say at once in a long time, and he wasn’t even sure _he_ understood it exactly, but he didn’t think Zoro was _wrong._

“So you’re saying that…what?  We should just ignore normal boundaries when it’s the three of us?” Law looked back over his shoulder.  “Because I don’t hate you, Mr. Zoro, but that doesn’t mean I want you around all the time,” he wasn’t trying to be rude, Sanji knew, but sometimes Law could be even more direct than Zoro. 

“Yeah, well, me neither, so we’re on the same page there,” Zoro replied in turn, and Law half-smiled at that response.  “But if we _are_ all together, instead of being weird about it…” he sighed. 

Law still looked confused, eyes narrowed and fingers tight in the pillowcase fabric, but eventually he shrugged his thin shoulders and nodded.  “I believe I can see the merit in what you’re saying.  I know for a fact Sanji won’t stand for it if we start behaving like rivals fighting for a prize, and he shouldn’t in that case.”

“Damn straight,” Sanji sniffed. 

“So I agree, in that case.  If we’re all together, I’m…okay with this,” he let out a slow breath, but his shoulders were still tense.  “I’m quickly coming to find that I don’t hate being touched nearly as much as I’d somehow convinced myself of,” he added, “but perhaps we should limit it to that.”

“Hey, I’m not interested in getting naked with anybody but him,” Zoro grinned over at Sanji, who rolled his eyes.  “I mean, I know you’re naked _now,_ but…”

“I understand, Mr. Zoro,” he promised.  “Now, as I said, it’s much too early for heavy conversations so let me sleep for a few more hours,” he closed his eyes. 

Sanji shared a look with the swordsman, although honestly the blond thought that the fact Law was so sleepy might make him more complaint.  Truthfully, he was still a little surprised Zoro would even go _that_ far for him.  He knew that’s all it was, and that he wasn’t trying to get closer to Law because he secretly harbored any sort of feelings for him, but Zoro _had_ admitted he found Law attractive so maybe it made more sense, at least on a basic level.  Zoro wasn’t the type of person to seek out relationships, and Sanji knew that he was probably the one exception when it came to that, which certainly wasn’t lost on him. 

Well, he reasoned, he shouldn’t over-think it when both of them were basically agreeing to put any sort of lingering jealousy between them to rest. 

He took off his own shirt, sliding under the covers and cuddling up to Law’s chest.  The other man pulled him close, no hesitation any longer in his movements when it came to Sanji. 

Oh well, he thought, kissing Law’s shoulder and letting his eyes close, Law was right. 

They could talk about it more later. 

000

“Here, I’ll do it.  Shove over.”

“What?” Sanji glanced down at the bottle of oil in his hands, narrowing his eyes.  “I haven’t even started!”

“Yeah, but I know how to give a proper massage, so let me,” Zoro held out his hand and Sanji passed the bottle over, still completely confused. 

They’d woken up about mid-morning and Sanji had scooted down the kitchen to grab some coffee and breakfast.  When he’d returned Zoro and Law were actually having a normal conversation, most of the lingering tension between them seemingly erased with their discussion earlier.  Law had excused himself to the washroom after they’d finished eating, moving stiffly, and Sanji had glared at him when he’d come back until he’d reluctantly admitted that his shoulders and back were sore from the day before. 

And so Sanji had offered to give him a massage, until he realized that he didn’t exactly know _how_ to give a massage.  He was good with his hands, after all, so he thought he’d be able to figure it out, but…

“Look, I grew up in a dojo.  One of the women in town was always coming around to help with stress injuries or over-extended muscles, and I watched her when I was bored,” he said the words flatly, but there was a hint of red on his cheeks like he was expecting the others to make fun of him. 

“Well, well,” Sanji was impressed.  “Hidden depths indeed.”

“Hey, I’m not a total barbarian,” Zoro grunted.  “Oi, Law, you okay with…”

“I’m quite convinced by now that you’re not trying to come onto me, so yes,” Law folded his arms under his chin, not even flinching when Zoro straddled him and rubbed some of the oil onto his hands. 

“Tell me if I’m being too rough, okay?”

“Mm,” Law sighed, but his eyes snapped open when Zoro started, digging his thumbs into the skin just below Law’s neck. 

“Fuck, you’re tight,” Zoro muttered, and Sanji almost choked on his own spit because Zoro might not have _meant_ it like _that_ but it echoed something Sanji had said the day before while doing something, well, rather different.  “How do you not have headaches all the time?”

“I do.  Often.  I don’t get to relax very mu-ah!” Law arched his back, mouth dropping open. 

“Should I be jealous at all that he’s louder when you’re doing that than he was all yesterday?” Sanji asked idly, because the sounds Law were making were increasingly sexual and Sanji made a mental note to get Zoro to teach him how to give a proper massage as soon as possible. 

“No, this is just…unexpected,” Law sounded almost breathless. 

“Wait, you’re saying you have to…what… _prepare_ yourself emotionally before sex?  Fuck,” he wondered how Law could keep surprising him in the worst ways.  The other man was so tightly wound that one day he was just going to shatter, and Sanji wasn’t sure if he could handle seeing him break. 

“Not with you.  Not really,” Law admitted, closing his eyes and nuzzling into the pillow.  “I’m never going to feel comfortable being completely open with anybody.  It’s just who I am.”

Sanji sighed, but he understood on some level.  Even though he’d never begrudge either Law or Zoro for the things they chose to prioritize, it still damaged his ego a little to know that now both of them had as good as told him he’d always come second. 

“You know you can, though,” he felt compelled to add, and Law gave him a wry smile and nodded. 

“I do.  I daresay if there’s anybody who could get me to ever completely let down my walls, it would be you,” he reached a hand out and Sanji took it without even thinking, clasping his own around it. 

“Fuck, you idiots are sappy,” Zoro grunted, sliding his hands down Law’s back and pressing his thumbs on either side of the older man’s spine, something that caused Law to let out a little sigh.  “I hope you don’t expect that from me, Cook,” he added, and Sanji rolled his eyes. 

“No, I doubt that’s even within your abilities,” Sanji replied.  “But you know, up until last night I didn’t realize willingly putting on nice clothes and going to a fancy restaurant just to impress me was, either, so maybe you can learn.”

“Ch,” Zoro scoffed, but he didn’t discount the idea outright, and Sanji had to grin to himself at that fact.  “Anyway, how’d you get that witch to spring for an extra room?  ‘Cuz that’s a talent I’d like to learn,” he moved his hands back up Law’s body, going to work on his shoulders once more. 

“I didn’t,” Law mumbled.  “I offered to pay for it myself, but I didn’t end up having to because the owner of the Inn knew who I was.”

“Isn’t that a bad thing?” Zoro frowned and Law shrugged his shoulders. 

“Not really.  Most people fear the Warlords, after all, and since my bounty’s frozen it’s not as if they can exploit me in any way.  It’s a position that has its advantages, as much as some might say that it’s contrary to the very nature of being a pirate,” his voice was slurred, proof of his current state of relaxation.  “But since I managed to finagle a discount on the other rooms as well, I think at the moment I’m rather on the good side of your navigator, which I’ve come to realize is a preferable place to be.  She’s quite the formidable woman,” he sounded sincere, and Sanji felt reassured at that. 

Anybody that insulted Nami or Robin was on his shit list, after all. 

“I think she goes out of her way to piss me off,” Zoro grunted, so Sanji extended his leg from where he was sitting and nudged Zoro’s side with his toes in obvious warning.  “Well, she never gives _you_ shit about spending money!”

“Because I spend it on _supplies,_ moss-head, and not copious amounts of cheap booze,” he grumbled, and Zoro leveled a glare at him.  He knew that Zoro didn’t _actually_ dislike Nami, but he was definitely wary of her and for somebody like Zoro that had to be a blow to his pride. 

“She’s good at what she does, I’ll give her that,” Zoro grudgingly admitted, and Sanji took his foot away. 

“Your crew has lucked out exceptionally in nearly all areas,” Law commented.  “All of you are incredibly proficient at your respective specialties.  My navigator is, after all, a polar bear.”

He said it with such fondness that Sanji realized he hadn’t even _considered_ how hard it was on Law to not only be carrying such a heavy burden on his own shoulders with the goal he felt he had to accomplish, but also that he was doing it _alone_ without his own crew to support him.  It was by his own choice, of course, but it was still something Sanji could see was affecting him. 

“You miss them,” he said, probably stating the obvious, and Law nodded. 

“Of course I do.  But I know they’ll be okay until I can meet up with them again.  The…advantage of having a submarine as my main vessel means I’ll always have the upper hand in terms of fleeing enemies.  Bepo might need somebody to take care of him now and then, but Penguin and Shachi are fully capable of leading the crew in my absence,” he mumbled, and Sanji thought that he’d like to meet Law’s crew.  From what he’d seen of them back at Sabaody, even if it was very little, they seemed much like his own crewmates: respecting and genuinely liking their captain while still not being afraid to let him know when he was being reckless, which more than anything told him what sort of man Law was.  He’d never be able to warm up to somebody who ruled their crew using fear or threats. 

“Hey, surgeon-boy, get my cigarettes, will you?” he poked Law’s shoulder and Law growled softly at him, popping one eye open and lazily sliding his hand out of Sanji’s so he could create a  Room and zoom the objects over from Sanji’s shirt pocket. 

“I’m sure the five steps it would have taken you to get them yourself were _so_ impossible,” Law yawned, his nose wrinkling rather adorably when Zoro stopped moving his hands.  “Are you finished?”

“Pretty much.  I’m gonna crack your back, though, so hang on,” he said.  “You good with that?”

“If it’ll help,” Law didn’t look like he trusted Zoro completely, but eventually he nodded. 

“It will.  Breathe in,” Zoro instructed, pressing his hands down when the other man did, and the resulting popping sound was almost loud enough to make Sanji jump. 

“ _Fuck,”_ Law didn’t sound like he was in pain, at least, and he slumped against the bed as Zoro got off of him.  “Mm.  I suppose I should thank you.”

“Nah, I like showing off in front of him,” Zoro grinned at Sanji, who rather maturely stuck his tongue out.  The swordsman kept grinning in an irritating manner as he headed to the washroom to presumably wash the oil from his hands. 

Sanji stuck an unlit cigarette in his mouth and chewed on the end of it thoughtfully, glancing over at Law who was looking at him through half-lidded eyes. 

“Hey,” he moved closer, trying not to be surprised when Law decided to use his lap as a pillow.  “Fuck, you’re like a giant cat.”

“I’m a what?” Law asked grumpily. 

“A damn cat,” Sanji replied, tugging at Law’s hair.  “You’re all prickly most of the time and then suddenly decide you need to be loved,” he snickered, only laughing harder when Law swiped a hand irritably at him.  “Seriously, though, are you…is this okay?  With Zoro?”

“I’m not entirely opposed to it,” Law replied after a few seconds of silent pondering.  “It’s…unconventional, of course, and you know that without you neither of us would ever consider creating any sort of…casual intimacy between us, but for what it’s worth…” he shrugged, which Sanji supposed was answer enough. 

“Don’t feel obligated…”

“Oh, believe me, I don’t do things I don’t want to,” Law gave him a rather wicked smile.  “And I still expect to have you to myself some of the time.”

“Demanding,” Sanji admonished him gently.  “But I did mean what I said yesterday.”

“I know,” Law assured him.  “Being even a little in love with me is probably a recipe for disaster, but I have a feeling you take people telling you what to do about as well as I do,” he mentioned, which Sanji couldn’t disagree with. 

He started to idly trace the swirls of the tribal-style heart on Law’s shoulder, fingers lightly skimming over his skin.  When he looked up, Zoro was watching them from the bathroom door, his face unreadable.  He crossed to the bed once he realized that he’d been noticed, climbing to sit beside Sanji and loosely throwing an arm over his shoulders. 

None of them said anything after that, because they didn’t really need to.  Sanji still had his doubts that everything was going to work out perfectly just because they’d all agreed to some sort of temporary truce, but at least it was a start. 

And for right now, that was enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, I wrote an entire chapter where nothing horribly dramatic happened. I don’t know if I would classify this as pure fluff, but it’s probably as close as I’ll ever come to it, so I hope it was an enjoyable change of pace!
> 
> 2\. That’s about all I have to say, so as always thanks for reading :)


	19. Chapter 19

“You’re very in your element right now, aren’t you?”

“Hmm?” Sanji looked over his shoulder, stopping to flip a couple of kebabs on the grill.  “Yeah.  I get restless when we’re stuck on land for too long and I can’t use my kitchen,” he explained, spinning around to grab the salt and pepper.  He turned back to the grill, seasoning the fish perfectly and checking the cook on it before replacing the spices behind him.  The Inn’s cook knew him well enough by now that he’d allowed him use of some of the kitchen equipment to set up an impromptu barbecue for the crew on the beach,, and Sanji was grateful for it. “I’m guessing you’re the same when you’re operating.”

“Perhaps.  It’s a strange thought, isn’t it, that my work is looked on as gruesome while yours is seen as an art, when in truth I’m working on the living and you’re working with dead creatures,” Law chuckled rather darkly and Sanji glanced at him again.  He supposed Law had a point, even though Sanji had never really thought about it like that.  The fish would take a bit to cook through so he wiped his hands off on his apron, going to sit beside Law on the sand and leaning his head on the man’s shoulder. 

“Two more days,” Sanji mumbled, feeling the warm evening breeze ruffle his hair.  Part of him never wanted to leave, because nobody knew what was going to happen once they got to Dressrosa.  He thought by now that Law wouldn’t _try_ to get himself killed, but Doflamingo wasn’t a man to be underestimated and there was this feeling in his bones, a terror that threatened to choke him at times because he just _felt_ that something bad was going to happen. 

To who, he didn’t know, but there was one very obvious candidate and he’d be a fool to think it was about anybody else.  He’d learned to trust his instincts by now, because they were almost always right.  He could hardly say anything since Law would just accuse him of worrying for nothing, but that wasn’t going to make the feeling go away. 

“It’s been far too long,” Law sounded dark, his aura cold enough to make Sanji shiver.

“Hey,” he murmured, kissing a spot under Law’s ear.  “Do you…”

“This week has been…” Law frowned, sliding one arm around Sanji’s waist.  “I never would have imagined anything like this for the path my life might take.  I don’t regret any of it, except having to see you get hurt, but I’m not going to fool myself into believing it’ll last once we leave these shores,” he was staring at the ocean, blinking slowly. 

“Stop,” Sanji elbowed him in the side.  “We’ve got time yet, and I don’t want you talking about what’s going to happen once we leave until we do.  Got it?” he swung his leg over Law’s, grabbing his collar and forcing the other man’s eyes to meet his. 

“You must know how hard it is for me _not_ to worry about the future,” Law settled his hands on Sanji’s hips, leaning up with a smirk on his lips. 

“Then challenge yourself and don’t do it,” Sanji replied, tilting Law’s chin up so they could kiss.  There was such a difference in the way Law was with him now, since they’d worked out everything.  He wasn’t hesitant any longer, his touches firm and his kisses consuming, and Sanji wondered just how uninhibited he’d be if he ever gave all of himself to somebody. 

It would probably never happen, because it wasn’t in Law’s personality to ever completely bare himself, but Sanji felt…lucky, he supposed, that he’d chosen to at least let down a few of his walls where Sanji was concerned. 

“I’ll try,” Law murmured against his lips, hands clutching at the back of his shirt, and it was _really_ fucking easy to forget they were out on the beach where everybody could see them at the moment.  “It’s more than a little, you know,” he nearly whispered, the words catching in his throat.  His eyes were locked on Sanji’s, fingers digging into his back almost desperately, and Sanji felt his own breath leave him in a whoosh of breath.  If Law really _was_ more than a little in love with him…

“Fuck.”

“I apologize, I…”

“No,” Sanji kissed him again.  “Don’t, I just…I’m gonna disappoint you.”

“Hardly,” Law replied quietly.  “I’m not asking you to reciprocate, but if you expect me to…forget about the impending future, I’m requesting that you at least allow me this,” he looked utterly serious. 

Sanji bit his bottom lip and stared down at the other man, his feelings in a bit of turmoil.  He wanted to make Law happy, of course, and he did believe that this _would,_ but at the same time he couldn’t help but feel bad because he would never be able to fully return what Law, for the moment at least, was so willing to give. 

“I…” he paused, trying to find the words, when he felt a hand tap his shoulder and nearly jumped out of his skin. 

“Sanji, your fish,” Robin called from farther down the beach, the hand disappearing in a wave of petals, and Sanji bounded off of Law’s lap and raced over to the grill. 

It was salvageable, thankfully, but part of him still felt like a coward for being relieved that it had given him the perfect distraction to, well, not answer Law’s question. 

He wasn’t even sure, at the moment, that he _had_ an answer.

000

“It’s really weird,” Usopp plopped down beside him later on that evening, adjusting himself on the log Sanji was seated on.  The sun had just gone down, the ocean nearly still and reflecting a multitude of stars from the cloudless sky.  It was dark, and infinite, and it made Sanji’s bones ache in a way he never wanted to lose. 

Sometimes he found it strange, that the ocean was both the source of his greatest fear and his greatest dream, because without it he wouldn’t have been trapped on that rock for two months.  But when he looked at it now, in all its vastness and all the danger he knew was lurking just below that glassy, deceptively calm surface, he felt nothing but yearning. 

Law was right.  They’d been on land for too long, and though perhaps their reasons for wanting to leave were different, Sanji could feel the same restlessness the other man did. 

There were times he did wonder, if he could give it up and live a life as a simple restaurant owner living in a single sleepy town, and he knew it was impossible.  Maybe once he found the All Blue he’d be more willing to settle, but until then, there was a need in him to keep moving, as if his body’s rhythm was directed toward a compass point he hadn’t discovered yet. 

Still, those thoughts were far too melancholy when _he_ was the one telling Law to be more positive, so he forced them aside.  He dug his bare toes into the sand, lifting his cigarette to his lips and taking a long drag before responding. 

“What is?”

“Today.  When you were making dinner,” Usopp began slowly, but Sanji still couldn’t fathom what he was talking about. 

Unless of course…

“You saw us, huh?”

“Yeah.  Robin and I were just coming to see how long dinner would be, and you guys were…” he blushed and swallowed rather heavily, staring down at the sand.  “Y’know.”

“Are you embarrassed?” Sanji couldn’t pass up a chance to tease Usopp, after all.  “It was just kissing…”

“It wasn’t that,” Usopp shook his head.  “It was the way he was looking at you.  I didn’t think he was _capable_ of it,” the younger man started, kicking idly at a rock half-embedded in the sand. 

“Of what?” Sanji tried to sound completely uncaring, because damn, if other people were noticing that made him feel even shittier that he hadn’t given Law any sort of answer. 

“Love,” Usopp laughed nervously.  “I…not that he…I mean…”

“I know,” Sanji said quietly, sighing.  He looked over at Law, sitting a little ways away from everybody else.  He was staring straight at the flames, eyes reflecting the fire’s glow and arms wrapped around that cursed sword of his.  “He’s told me.”

“And that’s why it’s so weird,” Usopp seemed to pick up his original train of thought, frowning.  “I’ve known you for years, Sanji, and even though I knew you and he were…sleeping together, you’ve only ever had feelings for women, so to actually _see_ you…” he sighed, scratching the end of his long nose. 

Sanji wanted to snicker because Usopp apparently had no idea he’d been in love with Zoro for years, but then, he’d worked really hard to hide it and he’d honestly be surprised if anybody other than Robin had figured that one out. 

“Yeah, well, life’s funny like that,” Sanji slung an arm around Usopp’s shoulders and pulled him closer, resting his cheek against the sniper’s curly hair.  Honestly, he was only trying to change the subject so he wouldn’t have to give Usopp an answer about his own feelings towards Law.  “But if you were staring at us, you had to have a reason for it…”

“N-no,” Usopp denied it much too quickly and Sanji grinned, knowing he had him distracted now.  “I…I just…”

“You told me you think he’s hot,” Sanji murmured in the other man’s ear.  “And I know your Kaya’s blonde, so you must have a _thing_ for blonds, too…”

“ _Sanji,”_ he hissed, but he was giggling, and Sanji snickered into his hair. 

“Hey,” the sound of booted feet against the sand made Sanji startle, even though he knew without looking who it was.

“Hey.  I need to talk to you,” Sanji looked up at Zoro, who predictably had a large mug of beer in each hand, and the swordsman shrugged.

“I’ll leave,” Usopp slid out from Sanji’s grasp, cheeks still a little flushed as he slunk away, and Sanji grinned to himself before taking another drag of his cigarette. 

“What’s up?” Zoro plopped beside him, downing one of the beer mugs in one breath, throat muscles working in a rather obscene way to swallow the bitter liquid.  Sanji cleared his own throat, trying to keep his mind on the conversation and not think about what a guy who had no gag reflex and could talk with a sword in his mouth could do while giving head. 

Sanji pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and chewing on the end of his cigarette before starting to speak. 

000

By the time he was finished telling Zoro what Law had said earlier, the green-haired man was frowning, but he didn’t look surprised or even angry about it. 

“Let him,” he said after a few seconds of silence, proceeding to finish off the second beer and belching in a way that had Sanji wondering _why_ exactly he’d fallen for him.

Zoro was crude and didn’t put any stock in personal hygiene, he had no regard for proper manners or even basic politeness, having an intelligent conversation with him was damn near impossible, and for the most part he was content to spend his days sleeping or fighting.

And yet, despite all of that, Sanji loved him.  Zoro wasn’t perfect, of course, but he was fiercely determined to protect everybody on the crew, he was amazingly perceptive when he needed to be, he was strong and brave and completely unafraid to be exactly who he was, and above all, Sanji knew he was truly a kind man with a good heart underneath all of that machismo.  He was a little rough around the edges, certainly, but none of that really mattered compared to the true glimpses of him Sanji had seen. 

“Why?” he broke out of his thoughts to ask.  After all, only a few days before Zoro hadn’t really wanted him even _touching_ Law, and now he seemed perfectly fine with them having an even more intimate relationship, one-sided as it would be.  Yes, he’d given them his blessing to still fool around, but this was a decidedly different level.  

“I already told you, didn’t I?” Zoro nudged him with his elbow, glancing furtively around before setting his hand on Sanji’s upper back and rubbing his shoulder gently.  “I’ve got my dream, Law’s got his mission, and neither of us are being fair to you when it comes down to it.  And…” he sighed, scrubbing at his hair with his free hand.  “After yesterday, I can see why you like him.  When he’s not being all prickly and cold, he’s a good guy,” he sounded like it was painful to admit that after all the time he’d spent hating Law, but Sanji was glad to hear it. 

“And he’s hot,” he added, obviously teasing.  Zoro snorted and rolled his eyes, although since those had been words that had come straight from his mouth, he couldn’t do much to deny them. 

The swordsman didn’t say anything, his eyes locked on Law from across the fire.  Sanji watched as Chopper staggered over to Law under the weight of a book much larger than the one he’d brought the other day, but the little reindeer didn’t even ask before hopping up into Law’s lap and opening the book, pointing to something with a tiny hoof.

Law’s eyes widened a little, his fingers clenching around Kikoku reflexively before he set the nodachi aside.  He settled one hand on Chopper’s waist to hold him in place, leaning forward so he could see the book.  Chopper laughed and looked up at him, blue nose twitching in a way that Sanji had come to learn meant he was extremely happy. 

It was strange, but also incredibly sweet, and Sanji felt himself again wishing they had longer because Law really did fit in remarkably well with their crew of misfits. 

Sanji wasn’t sure how long he spent watching them, seeing Law relax by increments until the tension seeped from his shoulders and the worry lines on his face smoothed over.  Chopper kept talking, gesturing now and then for Law to turn the page, and eventually the tiny doctor yawned and rubbed at his eyes with the back of one leg. 

Law said something then that Chopper nodded to, yawning again, and Sanji watched as the surgeon created a Room and switched out a piece of driftwood that had been beside them with a soft blanket from the other side of the fire.  Chopper wrapped it around himself, snuggling against Law’s shirt and closing his eyes, never moving out of Law’s lap. 

The older man hardly looked put-off even by this, since he just kept paging through the book Chopped had brought, one arm snug around the reindeer to keep him in place. 

“ _Really_ not a bad guy, if Chopper trusts him that much,” Zoro mumbled, his hand still heavy on Sanji’s back.  “Can you…I mean, I know you’re not gonna break his trust, but can you tell me _anything_ about him?”

Sanji frowned, leaning back against Zoro and trying to frame his words carefully.  “I think he doesn’t know how to relax because he’s never been able to.  He was supposed to die from the time he was born, pretty much, and instead all that’s happened is he’s seen everyone he’s loved die damn near in front of his face.  He’s not cold because he’s evil, he does it because he thinks that if he pushes people away he’ll never have to deal with the pain of losing somebody he loves again.”

“Shit,” Zoro sounded a little taken-aback.  “I know what it’s like to lose somebody important to me, but I didn’t see it happen.  Was it…”

“His whole family, and then a few years later the one guy he’d finally opened himself up enough to to trust completely,” Sanji wasn’t sure if that was crossing a line but it was still vague, and if it helped Zoro get over the last bit of lingering uncertainty he still had about Law, it wasn’t a bad thing. 

He knew Zoro wouldn’t tell anybody, after all. 

Zoro sighed heavily, pressing his nose into Sanji’s hair and holding him tight for a few seconds before he got to his feet and ambled over to where Law was sitting. 

The other man looked up in surprise, something defensive about his posture even as he made sure Chopper was steady on his lap.  He looked…nervous, like he thought Zoro was going to attack him for Chopper being there at all. 

Zoro sat down heavily beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder and saying something into his ear that Sanji had absolutely no chance of hearing, but Law’s reaction was immediate and his body relaxed again.  He gave a tiny nod, turning into a glare when Zoro stood up and ruffled his hair, and Sanji watched the swordsman head toward the Inn, hopeful that the bright blinking lights would guide somebody even with his abysmal sense of direction safely inside. 

Sanji waited for a few breaths, not wanting to look _too_ eager, before he stood up and shuffled across the sand.  Law set the book aside, blinking up at him, but Sanji didn’t wait for an invitation before he took a seat.  The warm evening breeze had faded with nightfall and it was pleasantly brisk now, coming off of the ocean with a hint of salt-spray and heavy with the scent of brine. 

The fire gave enough warmth for it to be comfortable sitting there even in his shirtsleeves, but he wasn’t too proud to lean against Law for some extra body heat. 

“Have you reached a decision on what I told you before?” Law’s voice was soft, barely audible over the distant waves and the wind in the trees behind them.  Sanji kept his eyes on the ocean, the dark surface breaking as a small fish flipped itself out of the water, scales shining like the finest silver in the moon’s glow. 

“What did Zoro tell you?” he asked instead, knowing it was cowardly. 

Law shrugged, not looking particularly inclined to answer, but eventually he did.  “He told me he trusted me.”

In hindsight, it wasn’t really that surprising, since he’d said almost the same thing to Sanji before he’d left, but Zoro wasn’t a man who gave away his trust freely so that was pretty significant. 

“Good,” Sanji decided it was time to stop chickening out and reached for Law’s free hand, lacing their fingers together.  He heard Law draw in a startled breath, his body shivering for a moment before he got himself under control once more. 

“Am I to take this as your reply?”

“Yeah.  Yes,” Sanji repeated, because it was all the answer he could give.  “I’m done worrying about whether or not it’s right or moral or fair.  If all of us are okay with it, that’s all that matters, and I…” he sighed.  “I know that love’s hard enough to find in this fucking messed-up world that giving up on it just because it’s not what most people would expect is a shitty thing to do.”

“Good,” Law’s face didn’t change and Sanji grumbled, nudging him in the side.  “What?”

“Fucking _smile,_ you bastard,” he poked Law’s stomach again and Law chuckled, but he did smile.  He ducked his head too quickly for Sanji to appreciate it fully, but still, it was a start. 

“Two days,” he said then, as if Sanji needed the reminder. 

“Yeah.  Don’t think about it.”

Law squeezed his hand, pulling him closer, and Sanji wondered if they could actually make it through the next two days without something unexpected happening again. 

Knowing them, probably not, but tonight was peaceful and he was going to savor every second of that while it lasted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, I know it’s been a long time since I updated, but last week’s OP chapter kind of messed me up and I wasn’t able to write for a while (I did write a Law/Sanji one-shot as my way of dealing with it, though, if anybody’s interested…it’s called ‘Comfort’ and it’s on my main page). This chapter was also supposed to include another scene but I really just wanted to write fluff so I’ll leave that for next time, probably…
> 
> 2\. I haven’t gotten a whole lot of feedback on the last couple of chapters of this fic, so if you’re still reading and enjoying, do feel free to leave a comment or review!


	20. Chapter 20

“Why are we out here, again?”

“Because we haven’t seen any of the island except the Inn,” Sanji looked back over his shoulder, hands stuffed in his pockets and customary cigarette between his lips as they walked on the path.  “The chef at that restaurant we went to said there’s a lot of fresh herbs and other edible plants up on the ridge, so I thought we’d check it out instead of lying on the beach again.”

“ _Herbs,”_ Zoro muttered under his breath, shifting the rather large bag on his back higher. 

“Several of the local ingredients for different poultices and medicines from the book Mr. Tony showed me can also be found up on the bluffs,” Law put in, falling into step with Sanji and adjusting his sword over his shoulder.  Zoro grumbled something about being a pack-mule and kept walking, although Sanji was still convinced the real reason he’d come was to stick close to both of them. 

Still, Zoro _was_ able to carry more than either of them, and although Sanji didn’t think a few plants would be that heavy, it was good to be prepared. 

They reached the high cliffs quickly, Sanji rushing to the edge to let the wind ruffle his hair.  It was more pronounced up here, coming in fast off of the waves.  The drop from the cliff-face was impressive, sharp rocks and swirling water littering the bottom.  It was a far cry from the relatively calm waves off of the Inn’s beach, but the wildness was exhilarating and Sanji spread his arms, feeling the wind catch his suit jacket. 

“Get over here before you fall off, stupid Cook!” Zoro tried to make it sound as insulting as possible, of course, but Sanji could hear an undertone of worry in his voice. 

“Not gonna,” Sanji promised, but he did step away from the edge.  There were small plants littering the cliffs that he could already see so he walked over, pulling out a sheet of paper from his jacket that detailed which ones were safe to eat.

Law was similarly scanning the ground, bending down now and again to investigate closer, and Zoro dropped the bag and decided to use it as a pillow so he could sleep.  Sanji resisted the urge to go over and kick him because he’d also packed a picnic lunch for all of them inside, but since he normally packed the food in Luffy-proof containers it should be able to handle Zoro just lying on it. 

Deciding he’d wake the swordsman up before they ate, Sanji moved away from the cliff’s edge so he could walk through some of the taller grasses. 

It was quiet out here, not even birdsong or the drone of insects to cut the howling of the wind or the crashing of the distant waves far below them.  The sun was warm and the sky cloudless, a perfect day to do some exploring, and with any luck they’d be back at the Inn by mid-afternoon which meant he could still enjoy some lounging time on the beach. 

He was humming idly to himself, lost in his work as he finally managed to find a few of the herbs, and he startled when Law spoke from right beside him. 

“It’s too quiet.  I don’t like it,” Law’s demeanor hadn’t changed and he didn’t look on high alert, but Sanji knew that if he so much as suspected anything was wrong his nonchalance would be revealed to completely be a front. 

“Maybe it’s too barren out here for songbirds,” Sanji replied, shrugging his shoulders.  Yes, sometimes his Haki was useful in predicting when something bad was going to happen, but it was far from perfect and honestly he didn’t have a whole lot of control over it apart from knowing it was accurate where reading the motivations of others was concerned. 

“Something doesn’t feel right-“ Law stopped, straightening up and looking back toward where Zoro was.  “Come.  I need to be sure.”

Sanji shrugged but gathered up the few herbs he’d managed to collect, following Law out of the scrub-brush and back out to where they could see the cliff. 

“Well.  Fuck,” Sanji swore under his breath, glancing over at Law, who narrowed his eyes and reached for Kikoku instinctively.  The sword, however, wasn’t there, since he’d left it beside where Zoro was before heading out, and Sanji immediately felt guilty. 

It was his idea to come out here, after all, and Law trusted him enough to let his guard down, which was going to be a problem right away, if the ten or so men sneaking up to Zoro were any indication. 

“He can take them,” Sanji lit up a cigarette to cover his nerves, although it really wasn’t an issue for Zoro.  He always woke up at the first hint of danger, and it wouldn’t surprise Sanji if he’d already realized he was surrounded and was just feigning sleep until they got closer. 

“Hmm,” Law was obviously formulating some sort of plan in his head, eyes narrowed, but true to Sanji’s thoughts Zoro sprang up into a crouch just as the first man reached him, swords drawn at lightning-fast speed.  He dispatched the three closest to him with a slash and a spray of blood that made Sanji grimace, wrinkling his nose in distaste. 

“He’s quite proficient,” Law murmured, one hand settled on his hip now as they watched Zoro take out another two men seemingly without any effort. 

For him, it was probably just extra training, after all. 

One of the men was backing off, which seemed like a strange move, at least until Sanji realized he was behind Zoro’s back and saw a flash of sunlight off of metal.

He was holding some sort of knife, and great swordsman or not, Zoro couldn’t do anything if his back was unprotected. 

“Room!”

Sanji had barely even formed a plan (which, admittedly, was bad, because they were so far away there was no possible way he’d be able to make it over there before the man threw it) before Law moved, swapping himself with a rock and warping to a spot between himself and Zoro.  He stopped the dagger in mid-air, using his power to fling it carelessly aside, and spun to grab his sword. 

The man, however, was craftier than any of them gave him credit for, and Sanji started running as soon as he saw him reach inside of his jacket.  The fucker would have been stupid to only bring one weapon, after all, and Sanji mentally kicked himself for not thinking of that sooner.  He sprung off the ground, knowing that even Sky-Walk wasn’t going to get him over there in time but needing to try _something_ because damn it, this was supposed to be a _quiet_ day. 

Law caught hold of his sword and turned around, and Sanji saw his eyes widen as the man barrelled into him at a full run.  He was shorter than Law, but much stockier, and if there was one thing that set Law at a disadvantage in close combat it was just how damn lanky he was. 

Sanji forced himself to move as fast as he could, pushing off the air with enough force that he felt it jarring up his legs, but he had no chance of getting there. 

Law stumbled backwards, caught off-balance by the body slamming into his, and there was absolutely nothing to prevent the resulting momentum from sending them both sailing over the edge of the cliff. 

Sanji touched the ground long enough to kick off his shoes and shrug off his suit jacket, sparing a glance at Zoro.  The swordsman, however, seemed completely oblivious to anything else happening as he took out the rest of the men, so Sanji decided to let him be and dove off the edge of the cliff with a fervent prayer that he wouldn’t end up impaled on the way down. 

Hitting the water hurt, the impact making his body shudder and erupt with pain, but he tried to ignore it and scanned around for Law. 

It was impossible to see, the swirling water creating a suction that pulled anybody unlucky enough to land in it toward the deadly rocks.  He broke free of the water with a gasp, bile rising in his throat at the sight of the man who’d attacked them. He was dead, eyes wide from shock and mouth forever open in an anguished scream.  There was a pillar of sharp rock through his chest and another near his groin, the tips glistening with blood and other things Sanji _really_ didn’t want to think about. 

He’d tried to kill them, Sanji reminded himself angrily.  He couldn’t feel any sympathy for him. 

Taking a deep breath, he dove beneath the waves again, clearing his mind and trying desperately to control his panic enough to let his Haki guide him.  He’d had enough practice in fishing Luffy and Chopper out of the water to know that hammers sank fast, and Law was significantly bigger than either of them. 

Eventually he felt a tiny presence in his mind, barely enough to register, but he used Blue Walk to fly toward it, his chest tightening up the lower he got. 

It was hard to see in the depths, the spires of rock blocking his vision, and if Law was on the far side of one of them he had no chance. 

Something rippling in the water caught his attention, a piece of ripped fabric, and he nearly sobbed in relief.  Law’s coat had probably saved his life, snagging on the edge of a rock pillar, but Law’s body was limp and when Sanji scooped him up he was complete dead-weight in his arms. 

He kicked toward the surface, breaking free of the water and gulping air into his lungs.  There was no possible way he’d make it up the cliff, not with Law, but the water was pulling him in between the rocks and he cradled Law to his chest, keeping his body still and hoping it would carry him somewhere safer. 

For once, his luck held out, and as he felt the rushing water slow down he opened his eyes, seeing a reachable ledge in front of him and climbing out.  They were still in the open, mostly, under a cliff overhang that was just underneath where they’d fallen in.  He hauled Law up onto the rock, arms shaking and legs nearly numb from exerting himself so much.  Law looked awful, skin an ashy-grey color and cold to the touch, and Sanji felt his heart stop when he lifted one hand from the other man’s chest to brush his own wet bangs back and saw that it was stained with blood. 

“Fuck.  _Fuck!”_ he hissed, pulling at Law’s heavy overcoat.  He hadn’t noticed the hilt of the dagger before because it was the same dark color as the coat itself, but now it was easy to see it, embedded in Law’s stomach through the fabric.  “You fucking bastard, don’t you dare die on me!” Sanji felt useless.  He couldn’t pull the knife out without knowing how injured Law was, and he couldn’t open his coat to do proper chest compressions without pulling the knife out. 

In fact, trying to get him breathing again at _all_ would probably only drive the knife deeper.  Sanji groaned and rubbed his sleeve across his eyes in frustration. 

There was nothing for it.  The knife had to come out, or else Law was certainly going to die.  He gently tipped Law’s head back, hoping that opening his airway would be enough to start him breathing again.  There was no change, though; Law’s body was utterly still, skin so pallid he might have been a corpse already. 

“Breathe, you bastard,” he squeezed his eyes shut, gripping the hilt and preparing to pull.  “Fucking _breathe,_ don’t make me do this…” he tightened his shaking hand around the dagger, barely able to get a grip with his fingers, wet and cold and nearly numb as they were.  They slid off the first time he tried to yank it out, his hand smacking against Law’s chest as he lost his grip, and the other man gave a tiny little groan at the impact that was barely loud enough to hear. 

Law coughed then, eyes shooting open, and Sanji pressed down on his shoulder to keep him from moving around.  He turned Law’s head to the side, keeping his torso still and wincing in sympathy when the other man kept coughing, retching up seawater.  His entire body was shaking, hands curled into fists against the stone floor, and when he’d gotten everything out of his system Sanji helped him lie flat, hands fluttering uselessly because _the damn knife was still in Law’s gut._

“Sanji?” Law asked, voice hoarse.  “Wh-…”

“You’re got a knife in your stomach,” Sanji realized how stupid a sentence that probably was, but Law looked down and groaned.

“Shit.  That’s why it…hurts…” he swallowed.  “It needs to…come out.  I need…” he sighed heavily.  “I’ll…make a Room, if you pull it out…use something to staunch the blood for now…that should be enough for…the time being,” he looked so damn weak that Sanji didn’t even think he’d have the _energy_ to make a Room, but all he could do was nod. 

“Okay.  Do it.”

Law grit his teeth, the Room materializing slowly and barely spreading enough to cover his torso, but Sanji pulled back on the knife, Law’s power allowing it to slide free easily without any blood gushing from the open wound.  He yanked open Law’s coat, grimacing at the bloody mess underneath.  He’d have to sacrifice his shirt, he realized, so he stripped it off, wrapping it tightly around Law’s body to try and put as much pressure on the wound as possible. 

He nodded when he was done, the Room dissipating, and Law groaned in pain as the effects of his ability faded away.  “Ow.  Fuck,” he whispered, eyes half-closed. 

“I need to get Chopper,” Sanji went to stand up, but Law feebly tugged at his hand, stopping him.  “Law, you could still die…”

“ ‘s not that,” Law whispered.  “You saved my life.”

“Yeah.”

“You could have died.”

“Nobody on my crew’s as good in the water as I am,” Sanji knew that was a non-answer but it was also the truth. 

“ _Why?”_ Law looked so, _so_ confused as to why anybody would risk themselves for him, and Sanji leaned down to kiss his forehead, gripping his hand tightly. 

“Because.  Like you said, it’s more than a little,” he said, not feeling any remorse or uncertainty with the words.  He _was_ in love with Law…well, at least, as much as he could be, but there was really no denying what he felt any longer. 

Law half-smiled at him, eyes narrowed in pain, and Sanji looked down to see blood seeping through his makeshift bandage.  The shirt had been one of his best, perfectly fitted to his broad shoulders and trim waist, but he couldn’t even feel any regret that it was completely ruined now. 

That much blood wasn’t going to come out, but compared to Law’s life, it was a small price to pay.

“Don’t die,” he said again, knowing that it probably sounded pathetic. 

“I’m not planning on it.  Not yet, at any rate,” Law assured him, but he still had an unhealthy, waxy pallor to his skin and Sanji was sure the blood loss wasn’t helping. 

A scraping sound from further within the cave made him start, whipping around and preparing himself for… _whatever_ was going to come out.  He didn’t have his shoes, but if it was some sort of animal he’d hopefully still have enough power to kick it into submission.  He saw a figure materialize out of the darkness, the familiar shape causing a surge of relief to flood through his bones.  Flopping back on the ground, his body too spent to stay upright any longer, he watched as Zoro skidded to a half in front of him, Law’s sword slung over his shoulder.   

“Thank fuck,” Sanji felt his body starting to shake, adrenaline wearing off and the chill of the cave settling on his bare, wet skin.  He reached out his arms and Zoro moved closer enough that he could them around his strong body, burying his face into the swordsman’s shoulder. 

“Shit, Cook, what happened…”

“No time,” Sanji wanted nothing more than to collapse in Zoro’s arms for a while, but Law needed help, and fast.  “I need to get Chopper.”

“I’ll go,” Zoro said, his expression set.  “You’re exhausted…”

“You won’t find the town,” Sanji shook his head.  “I can’t believe you found _us,”_ he added, laughing a little incredulously and a little hysterically, because of all the times they needed Zoro to find his sense of direction, he finally _did_  

“I was looking for a way down the cliff and I saw this cave opening, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to see where it lead,” he scratched the back of his head, a rather sheepish grin on his face. 

“It certainly didn’t.  I’ll be back as soon as I find Chopper,” Sanji leaned into kiss Zoro quickly, running his hands down the other man’s arms.  “Take care of him.”

“I will,” Zoro looked deadly serious as he nodded.  Sanji looked back at Law one last time, willing him to hold on, before he started running through the cave. 

He just hoped Chopper would be easy to find. 

000

“How is he?”

“Asleep,” Zoro looked up from where he was seated on the bed, his eyes traveling down Sanji’s body before they snapped up to focus on his face.  “How are _you?”_

“Fine,” Sanji tossed the towel he’d been using to dry his hair aside, leaving just one around his waist.  He was sore, and the soles of his feet were scratched and blistered from running to town and back without his shoes.  He knew his muscles would be screaming at him in the morning, especially with how hard he’d hit the water after his dive, but at least he didn’t have a knife through his stomach.  “I hope you killed those bastards,” he added, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering. 

It had been so close, and he knew that.  Once again, if Law hadn’t possessed the ability that he did, somebody would have died.  More than one somebody, Sanji amended, because Zoro wouldn’t have seen the knife coming until it was too late. 

“Yeah,” Zoro nodded, sinking back onto the bed.  Sometimes it scared Sanji, just how easily Zoro could kill other people.  Sanji didn’t think he ever could unless it was truly a matter of life and death, and he knew that despite Law’s reputation he was more about leaving enemies alive in pieces as opposed to doling out death, but Zoro used to kill pirates for a living.  Not that he was scared of Zoro, exactly, but he really didn’t seem to think twice about ending another life.  Most of them the people they were fighting were just trying to make their own lives better, the same thing all of them were doing, after all. 

Still, he couldn’t blame Zoro, given the circumstances.  If it was between leaving them knocked out so they’d come back to harass them later, or even worse, go after some of the other people on the crew, and killing them outright…well, it was probably the safer choice in the end. 

“Any idea who they were?” he asked softly, getting a shrug. 

“Yeah, I made the last guy talk first.  I guess they were part of the same bounty-hunting guys that captured you, but hopefully there’s none of them left,” he grunted, narrowing his eye and looking back at Law.  “He saved my life, didn’t he?” he asked softly, something unreadable in his gaze.  “Before…”

“There was a guy with a knife…he was aiming at your back, but Law warped himself in front of him before he could throw it,” Sanji curled his fingers into the blankets.  “I couldn’t get there in time, I…”

“Hey.  ‘s not your fault,” Zoro reached over, placing his hand on top of Sanji’s and squeezing gently.  “I should have known better than the fall asleep out in the middle of nowhere while you guys weren’t close.”

“What did he…I mean, did he say anything when I was gone?” Sanji wasn’t sure why he was asking, or why he even needed to know, but Law still looked like death warmed over and it was a way to take his mind off of how badly everything _could_ have gone. 

“Not really,” Zoro shrugged.  “He was in a lot of pain and trying not to show it.  He held my hand, though,” he chuckled, although Sanji got the feeling that he wasn’t really making fun of the action.  “Didn’t say anything, just kind of whacked my leg until I got the hint.”

“Yeah, sounds about right,” Sanji smiled, rather sadly, but all of them weren’t people that would ever admit to being in pain if they could help it, and for Law to need any reassurance at all meant that it had to have been pretty bad.  He hadn’t seen what exactly Chopper had done, the reindeer ushering both him and Zoro out and asking them to let him work in peace, but there were stark-white bandages wrapped tightly around Law’s torso that so far didn’t seem to have any blood on them. 

Of course, Chopper hadn’t exactly been _nice_ to him after he’d patched Law up, berating him both for running to town without shoes and for diving head-first into a mess of swirling currents and rock spires, but Sanji knew he’d grown fond of Law and was probably more worried than anything else. 

Chopper had been pretty certain that Law would be okay, provided he got a lot of rest and didn’t push himself too hard.  Luckily, the knife had missed any vital organs and using Law’s power to remove it had probably saved him from greater internal damage. 

“Get some sleep,” Zoro patted his hand.  “You’re probably exhausted.”

“Dunno if I’ll be able to,” Sanji admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.  He hadn’t done much since getting back to the Inn other than showering in a haze and forcing some soup down his throat, unable to stomach the thought of eating anything else. 

“What’s bugging you so much?” Zoro seemed to pick up on his behavior and shifted closer, fingers trailing down Sanji’s back and up to his shoulder in a soothing, repetitive pattern.  Sanji realized belatedly that Zoro had been _worried_ about him, although he supposed it only made sense considering the last he’d seen of Sanji was him swan-diving off of the cliff.  He had a blunt way of showing it, of course, and he might never admit it out loud, but he was being far too careful and courteous, like he was afraid of revealing too much about his own feelings.  “Sanji?”

Zoro using his name, still a rarity despite their growing closeness, snapped him back to awareness…although the reminder of what he was supposed to answer was far from a pleasant one.

“Just…the guy that pushed Law over the cliff, he was…he got caught on the rocks,” he whispered, the sight of the man’s horrified face and the blood and viscera glistening on the rocks in the sunlight etched in his memory.  It had been a particularly gory way to die, and probably immensely painful.  “He was hanging onto Law when they fell, and that…that could have been _him,_ Zoro,” he choked out, not wanting to even consider it. 

Fuck, he knew how little regard Law had for his own life, but that didn’t stop Sanji from hoping he’d make it through whatever was going to happen with Doflamingo alive and unscathed. 

It was probably a foolish thought, but it was one that made Sanji even more determined to enjoy what little time they had left until the inevitable end. 

“Yeah, but it wasn’t,” Zoro, ever the practical one, said bluntly.  “It wasn’t, and he’s alive, and he’s gonna be fine.  We’re all gonna be fine,” he added fiercely, yanking Sanji nearly into his lap and reaching to frame his face with his hands.  He slid his rough, callused fingers down the side of Sanji’s face, pressing against his neck and seeking out his pulse.  “We’re alive,” he repeated. 

“We are,” Sanji leaned in to kiss him, wrapping his arms around Zoro’s shoulders and letting his body nearly collapse against him the way he’d wanted to back in the cave.  Zoro held him tightly, nose pressed against his neck. 

“We should…bed?” Zoro asked, and Sanji nodded, reluctantly leaving the warmth of Zoro’s body to flip back the covers and crawl under them beside Law, careful not to jostle him or wake him up.  He was breathing evenly now, although the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than Sanji had ever seen them.  It was hard to imagine, seeing him so vulnerable, that anybody could truly fear him. 

Zoro watched him impassively before he stripped off his shirt and moved to lie on Law’s other side.  Sanji smiled at him, sliding his hand to rest on Law’s chest above his heart, and after a second of hesitation Zoro placed his own hand on top of the cook’s, lacing their fingers together. 

They fell asleep like that, exhaustion taking Sanji faster than he would have thought possible, and between the warmth and weight of Zoro’s hand on top of his and the steady thump of Law’s heart under his palm, he knew that letting go of his fears until the morning would finally be possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This was a fast update because I finally got my writing inspiration back (although I’m awful at writing action sequences so I hope everything still makes sense with what’s going on…). I feel bad for doing mean things to Law, though, considering what Oda’s putting him through in the actual story at the moment…
> 
> 2\. As always, thank you all so much for continuing to read and comment on this fic, because it does mean a lot :) And if you’re interested in finding me on tumblr or twitter (I tend to post updates on twitter about when I’m writing or how far along in the chapters I am) you can find me both places at kikokus (my twitter is private but I add pretty much anybody!).


	21. Chapter 21

Somehow, he managed to sleep through the night, and the light trilling of an eagle seeking fish broke him out of his slumber.  The sun was high, probably close to noon, and his hand was still firmly beneath Zoro’s so the swordsman hadn’t yet woken up. 

He couldn’t tell yet just how sore he’d be when he tried to stand up, but considering how much it had hurt yesterday he wasn’t betting on it being the most pleasant experience. 

Sighing, he glanced over at Law, almost surprised when he saw the other man was staring back at him.

“Hey,” he shifted a little, pressing his lips to Law’s shoulder and letting his head rest there.  “How’re you feeling?”

“Not horrible, but I’m going to assume Mr. Tony has me on rather a large amount of painkillers,” he sighed, his brow furrowed.  “I’m afraid I don’t remember much after you came back to that cave.”

“That’s not surprising,” Sanji curled himself as close as he could, needing to feel Law’s body heat around him just to reassure himself that the other man was alive.  “Fuck, Law, you weren’t _breathing_ and I…”

“I’m sorry to have worried you,” Law’s voice was impassive, and Sanji nearly growled in frustration because _he still didn’t get it._

“That’s not the point, asshole,” Sanji hissed, and Law blinked slowly at him.  “It’s not about _me_ worrying, it’s…”

“That I should want to be alive for myself,” Law murmured, giving Sanji a rather coy look.  “I do realize that, and while I can’t say for certain that I am, I still feel guilty both for making you risk your life just for my sake _and_ for making you worry,” he seemed to think that was an acceptable answer, somehow, and Sanji guessed that for him it probably was. 

He knew he shouldn’t talk, because he had about the same reaction whenever somebody willingly saved him, but somehow it was more irritating when Law did it. 

Law’s fingers were twitching against the sheets, like he wanted to do something with his hands but was hesitating.  Sanji decided to wait it out, letting him take the initiative, and eventually Law sighed and closed his eyes as if he were in pain. 

“Law?” Sanji asked quietly.  “Should I get Chopper?  Do you…”

“No,” Law shook his head quickly.  “No, I…” he let his hand rest on Sanji’s bare shoulder, stroking his skin with careful fingertips.  “You really…love me?” he sounded so unsure, his fingers pressed against Sanji’s back now. 

“Like I said the last time, I don’t fuck around with things like love.  Yeah, I love you.  You make it almost impossible, because you’re a stubborn bastard and you spend all your time pretending to be some sort of horrible person, but _somehow_ I kind of fell for you anyway…” he squeaked when Law’s arm tightened around him, yanking him closer, and the surgeon was clutching almost desperately at him now, breathing harsh against Sanji’s neck. 

“Thank you, then.  For saving my life,” Law mumbled, and it sounded like it pained him to say those words without some sort of ‘but’ explaining why he didn’t deserve it after.  He managed, though, and Sanji was kind of proud of him for it.  “I would have…”

“Yeah.  You would’ve,” Sanji didn’t want Law to talk about dying, didn’t even want to imagine what might have happened if he’d have landed among the rocks, or if his coat hadn’t been snagged, or if Sanji hadn’t of found that ledge to pull them up onto, or if the knife had hit something vital…he banished the fears because there was no use dwelling, especially when they didn’t happen.  “But you’re fine.  You’ll _be_ fine,” he amended, and Law groaned. 

“We’re not leaving tomorrow, are we?”

“With the condition you’re in?  Not a fucking chance,” Sanji said firmly.  “Chopper says it’ll take a few days to get you back to full strength, and since you’re the guy with the plans and the only one of us that might stand a chance against Doflamingo if things go south, you’ve gotta be in top form,” he didn’t know how strong Doflamingo was, precisely, but since he’d damn near broken his leg just trying to kick one of his subordinates, he wasn’t betting on him being any sort of pushover. 

They’d need as much help as they could get going in, and without Law in perfect shape, they wouldn’t have any hope of coming out victorious. 

Law grumbled something, eyes squeezed shut.  Sanji kissed his shoulder again, breathing out slowly before he replied. 

“I know it sucks, and I know you want to kick his ass, but you’ve waited thirteen years to do it.  A few more days isn’t going to make that much of a difference,” he tried to keep his tone as placating as possible, and eventually he felt Law nod against his neck.  “And, well…” he decided against saying anything else, not knowing if it was going too far, but Law surprised him by voicing almost his exact thoughts.  

“We get to spend more time together?” the other man guessed, causing Sanji to chuckle.  “I’m not averse to that, you realize, but it would be much more enjoyable to do this _after_ the threat of Doflamingo has been removed from the world.”

“Yeah,” Sanji couldn’t really argue that, but he still couldn’t completely agree.  “But right now we’re…”

“Alive and mostly whole?” Law pulled back and raised an eyebrow, and Sanji snorted.  “Yes, that’s certainly a positive to our current arrangement.”

Sanji rolled his eyes and kissed Law in response, only breaking away when there was a knock on the door.  Zoro was still fast asleep, by all appearances, and Law wasn’t in any position to move, so Sanji groaned and got out of the bed.  He straightened up slowly, his muscles screaming at him, and winced when he realized even moving to the door would be a challenge. 

His first step nearly landed him on his ass, the bandages Chopper had wrapped around his feet the night before hard to manoeuvre in, but he managed to stumble across the room and only once he’d yanked the door open realized he was still only wearing a rather tiny bath towel around his waist. 

Yes, Chopper was a doctor and Sanji knew he’d seen a lot more than that, but he was still a kid and it was awkward to be naked around him.  

“How is he?  Is he awake?!” Chopper bustled into the room, blue nose twitching and looking close to tears.  Sanji leaned down, patting him on top of his hat, and Chopper relaxed at the action.  “He’s okay?”

“Yeah, he woke up a little while ago,” Sanji replied, watching at Chopper dashed over to the bed and hopped up, wrapping his tiny arms around Law’s neck.  The surgeon looked rather taken aback, eyes wide, but before he could say anything Zoro finally decided to wake up. 

“Shit, who’s jumping on the bed?”

“ _Uwaahhhh!  Zoro!”_ Chopper stumbled backwards, nearly pitching off of the bed before Zoro caught him and set him safely in the middle of the mattress.  “What are you doing here?!”

“Fell asleep,” Zoro grunted, which for him wasn’t an unusual answer, but Sanji thought that it still didn’t explain why he was so obviously in bed with two other men.  “Why?”

“N-nothing!” Chopper waved his hoofs, laughing nervously before he turned back to Law.  “Come on, I need to see how the wound looks, and then probably get you some more painkillers.  Are you feeling it yet?”

“Not especially,” Law shrugged.  “I’ve got a rather high tolerance for pain,” he smiled grimly and Sanji had to grimace at that, because he had a feeling it was something Law had been forced to develop with all of the shit he’d gone through. 

“Still,” Chopper sniffled and Law reached out a hand, patting his shoulder. 

“I’ll be fine, Mr. Tony.  But I think you for your concern, and I’m grateful to have had such a skilled doctor around yesterday as I was far too weak to do anything to save myself,” he half-smiled and Chopper started to wriggle. 

“Don’t thank me, you asshole!  And don’t compliment me, either; that doesn’t make me happy at all!” he sniffled even though his outburst, eyes suspiciously wet as he ran to grab his medical bag and hopped back onto the bed.  “Oh, Sanji, I’ll need to take a look at your feet after I’m done.  Meet me in the bathroom, okay?”

It was asked as a question, but Sanji knew it was as much of an order as Chopper would ever give, and he wasn’t about to go against the reindeer’s wishes…especially when his feet were really starting to hurt now.  He wandered into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet, reaching down to unwrap the bindings around his feet and grimacing as they were removed. 

There was some blood on the bandages, mixed in with the antiseptic gauze and discharge from blisters that were already beginning to bubble and pop.  He wrinkled his nose and dropped them in the trash bin, flexing his toes and trying to keep his feet off of the floor. 

He wasn’t sure how long he waited there for Chopper, cursing the fact that he didn’t even have his cigarettes with him so that he could smoke to pass the time, but when the door opened the doctor looked happier than he’d been. 

“Good news?” he asked, trying to make it seem like he didn’t care that much, and Chopper nodded. 

“Yeah.  He’ll be fine,” he smiled widely.  “ _You,_ however, should know better.”

“I couldn’t let him die, Chopper,” Sanji held out one foot and winced when Chopper smeared some more antiseptic over the sole.  He wasn’t being especially gentle, which Sanji probably deserved, but he’d gladly endure this pain if it meant Law would be okay.  “I was so fucking scared, you have no idea…”

“I know,” Chopper sniffed.  “I mean, I don’t _know,_ but I was scared, too.  I…he’s really not that bad, you know?” he blushed a little and wriggled his ears happily, and Sanji had to chuckle. 

“Yeah.  I think I know,” he bit his lip and looked away, hoping that Chopper didn’t press the issue.  Yeah, he’d heard them that first night, even if he didn’t know _who_ Sanji was with, but after he’d seen them in a rather compromising position that day on the beach the cook was pretty sure Chopper had figured out what was going on. 

“Oh yeah, you and him,” Chopper said it in a voice that was entirely too knowing considering he was a teenaged reindeer, and Sanji sighed and dropped his head, holding his other foot out.  “It’s not bad!  I mean…right?” Chopper asked tentatively, and Sanji shrugged.  “You…are you guys in love?”

“ _No._ Fuck,” Sanji rubbed his hands over his eyes and groaned, feeling a stab of guilt at saying that.  Chopper didn’t know the whole story, though, and it wasn’t his place to tell it, so that was the safest answer he could give. 

“…okay,” Chopper said in a tiny voice, pulling out some bandages and wrapping them firmly around Sanji’s feet.  “Take it easy for a couple of days, but your feet should heal up fine.  And use this for your muscles,” he reached into his bag and drew out a tiny jar of cream, something that Sanji was inwardly grateful for.  He hadn’t really said anything to Chopper about it, figuring he’d deal with it on his own, but if Chopper had noticed how much pain he was in he must have been moving really stiffly. 

“Thanks,” Sanji patted Chopper’s hat again, the doctor growling and swatting at his hand.  He packed up his bag and turned to head out of the bathroom, stopping at the last moment and looking over his shoulder. 

“Um, I probably shouldn’t ask, but do you need anything for…y’know… _sex?”_ he whispered, and Sanji started to snicker.  “It’s not funny!”

“Law’s a doctor too, remember?” Sanji gave the reindeer a soft smile, and Chopper eventually smiled back. 

“Okay.  Good.  Um…” Chopper cleared his throat.  “I don’t want to tell you what to feel, but I think you guys make each other happy,” he nodded once, as if convincing himself he’d said the right thing, and left the room.   

Sanji dropped his head to his knees, knowing that Chopper was only trying to help, but when he only knew half of the story it wasn’t really helpful at all. 

It amazed him, a little, just how accepting everybody on the crew had been so far when they’d found out about him and Law, but he wasn’t sure how far that lack of judgement would extend if they ever learned _why_ he’d started the whole thing with Law in the first place.  Or, well, if they found out that it wasn’t _just_ Law he was involved with, because somehow he had a feeling most of them would be far more surprised he was in love with Zoro than they were that he was sleeping with another guy…two other guys…

He stood up, padding carefully across the bathroom floor.  It was hard to walk; even though there was only a thin layer of bandages on his feet, it still felt like he was stepping on pillows and it made him awkward and off-balance.  

The sight that greeted him when he opened the door wasn’t what he expected.  Zoro was half-leaning over Law, the surgeon’s hands on the other man’s face and his fingers stroking the scar over Zoro’s eye.  It was strangely intimate, especially with Sanji out of the room, since the blond had kind of figured they were only keeping up their front of being okay with each other for his sake. 

Apparently that wasn’t the case, and he felt a coiling jealousy settling deep in his stomach.  It was unfounded, and he knew it, but it would be just his fucking luck if they ended up falling for each other instead. 

“Hey,” he said, the word loud and harsh to his own ears, and while both of them turned to look at him they didn’t move apart.  “What…um…” he stopped, sighing and scratching the back of his neck. 

“I was just informing Mr. Zoro that, should he desire it, it would probably be possible for me to find him a replacement for his eye,” Law took his hands away from Zoro’s face, giving Sanji a look that was entirely sultry, eyes half-lidded and a smirk playing about his lips. 

“Fuck, what sort of painkillers does Chopper have you on?” Sanji knew that Law wouldn’t be acting nearly this open and flirty if he’d been in his right mind, but he was certainly capable of being playful when the mood struck him. 

“Rather good ones, considering how I feel presently,” the other man blinked hazily.  “Come.  Join us,” he patted the bed between them and, well, that wasn’t an invitation Sanji was ever going to turn down.  He crawled onto the bed, careful not to shake the mattress too much, and flopped between them. 

“So.  A new eye, huh?  You taking him up on that, Marimo?” he glanced over his shoulder at Zoro, who threw an arm carelessly over his waist and shrugged. 

“Nah, probably not.  ‘ve got my Haki to help me in fights anyway,” he grinned.  “Plus I look way more badass this way.”

“Yes, that’s obviously important,” Sanji muttered dryly.  Trust Zoro to want to look as macho as possible. 

“I’d have to find somebody willing to give up an eye, too,” Zoro added, his fingers tracing idle patterns across Sanji’s stomach.  “I mean, unless you want to give me yours, since you never have them both uncovered…”

“No, thank you.  I’d rather keep both my eyes,” Sanji would probably do it if Zoro actually _asked_ him, but he knew the other man wasn’t being serious. 

“Yes, I’ve been meaning to ask about that,” Law raised a hand to brush through his fringe, pushing the shaggy hair back.  Sanji reached to catch his wrist, stopping him from moving it completely out of the way.  “What?  I can assure you, being in the profession I’m in, there’s very little that will scare me off.”

“You never noticed when you guys were…” Zoro stopped, coughing awkwardly, obviously still a little uncomfortable talking about them being intimate. 

“I never really thought to look, to be honest,” Law didn’t move his hand away, fingers still brushing through Sanji’s hair.  “You don’t have to show me if you truly don’t wish to.”

“If you laugh I’m gonna kick you,” Sanji decided there was nothing for it and shoved back his bangs, blinking in the brightness of the room.  Law’s face didn’t change at all, his thumb brushing over the curl in the eyebrow that Sanji was currently keeping covered. 

“This makes you extremely uncomfortable, doesn’t it?” Law, of course, immediately picked up on how tense he was.  It did feel like he was baring himself, something far more intimate than just being naked.  Law let his hand slip away after only a few more moments, Sanji breathing a sigh of relief as his hair fell back into its normal place. 

Zoro wasn’t saying anything, which was rare, because Sanji couldn’t remember the last time Zoro had passed up an opportunity to tease him about his eyebrows.  Normally he didn’t care, and he’d shoot back with a remark about Zoro’s hair, but maybe the swordsman had figured out that it wasn’t the time for jokes.  Zoro was amazingly perceptive when he wanted to be, after all, and his arm around Sanji’s waist right now was more a comfort than anything. 

“Sorry.  I know it’s stupid, but I hate them,” he frowned, realizing how petulant that sounded.  Law gave him an appraising look, hand moving to rest against Sanji’s neck. 

“You’re extremely attractive,” Law didn’t sound like he was trying to placate him although Sanji had a hard time believing those words at face value…especially coming from somebody that looked like Law.  “Hmm, you should take this off…” he moved his fingers down Sanji’s side, so light that it was almost ticklish, and tugged at the towel around his hips.  

“Why?” Sanji yawned, not really opposed to it since both Law and Zoro had obviously seen him without any clothes on by now…and honestly, it wasn’t as if the towel was really protecting his modesty. 

“Why not?” Zoro was smirking, Sanji could tell, and he sighed and nodded, feeling Zoro undo the towel and sliding it out from under him before tossing it aside.  Law’s hand was resting on his hip, thumb running over the ridge of his hipbone, and Sanji felt his eyes sliding closed under the careful caress. 

“Hey,” he mumbled before he got too sleepy, reaching back to smack Zoro’s leg.  “Chopper left me some cream for my muscles.  Give me a massage when I wake up,” he mumbled, hearing Zoro chuckle and feeling the other man’s lips press to his shoulder briefly. 

“I don’t owe you anything, Cook,” Zoro’s voice was so full of affection that it made Sanji’s heart feel like it was being squeezed, but instead of feeling guilty about it again he decided to just let himself bask in it for once.  “I owe _you_ a lot, though,” Zoro added, and Law made a questioning noise in his throat.  “For yesterday.  Thanks.  You know.  For saving me,” he sounded extremely out of his element with the expression of gratitude. 

“How could I not, knowing what you mean to him?” Law’s hand was still gently petting Sanji’s skin, almost feeling like a protective touch now. 

Sanji didn’t hear if they said anything else after that, sleep pulling him under no matter how much he tried to fight it.  He finally felt like maybe the three of them _could_ make this work, as unconventional as it was, and perhaps it was time to stop worrying about what other people would think and just…do what felt _right._  

Of course, first he’d have to convince _himself_ there was nothing wrong with it, but with how good everything was in that moment, it might not be as hard to do that as he’d once thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I don’t think there’s going to be too many chapters of this left, although plot tends to sneak up on my when I least expect it so I can’t make any sort of official guess on the number remaining, but things are rather angst-free at the moment!
> 
> 2\. I know it’s a busy time of year what with final exams and holidays and Christmas coming up, but if you feel so inclined to leave a review or comment, please do! And I hope the chapter was enjoyable, even if it was mostly fluff.


	22. Chapter 22

“ _Toraooooo!”_

“Shit,” Law murmured, bracing himself for impact, and Sanji snagged Luffy by the back of his vest before he could catapult his way into the other man’s lap. 

“He’s _injured,_ dipshit,” Sanji muttered, waiting until Luffy’s body had snapped back into place before setting him on the floor.  “Take it easy.”

“Ah, sorry!” Luffy blinked at them both before very deliberately walking over to Law, sitting in his lap, and wrapping his arms only once around the other man’s neck.  “Is that okay?”

Law had the same look on his face now as he’d had the day before when Chopper had hugged him, and it made Sanji’s heart ache a little that he was still so _shocked_ people could genuinely care about his well-being.  He was also a little surprised that Luffy was being so delicate, but he also knew that Luffy really wanted Law to like all of them so that might account for how calm he was being. 

“Torao?” Luffy asked again, not loosening his grip any. 

“Ah…yes, Straw-hat, that’s fine,” his fingers twitched in the air before he heaved a resigned sigh and returned the hug, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Shishishi.  Good.  I guess you and Sanji are even now, huh?  Since you both saved each other,” he finally pulled back and Law looked relieved at that. 

“I suppose we are,” Law glanced in Sanji’s direction and the cook rolled his eyes.  They both knew it wasn’t some sort of contest, of course, but Luffy probably saw it as a weird bonding experience. 

“Cool.  Oh, Sanji, I wanna talk to you later, okay?” Luffy asked, not waiting for any sort of answer before he stretched his arm out to snag the edge of the open patio doors, launching himself through them with a joyful ‘ _yahoo!’_ and flying off toward the beach. 

“I guess I should do that now before he forgets what he wants to tell me,” Sanji sighed and stood up, walking over to Law.  “Do you need anything?”

“I’m not incapable of moving around, you realize,” Law frowned, and Sanji knew well enough that he hated to be coddled.  “If I need to go back to the room, I can manage.”

“Okay.  I’ll be back later,” Sanji hesitated before leaving, feeling like he should do more but not sure how Law would react to any sort of affection in a rather public setting. 

He told himself to stop being a coward and walked over, leaning down and gripping Law’s chin with a hand to tilt his head up before pressing their lips together in a chaste goodbye kiss. 

Law blinked at him when he pulled away, eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything that could be considered an objection so Sanji decided that meant it was okay. 

He headed out the doors Luffy had flown out of, heading along the path toward the beach, and hoped his captain hadn’t gotten himself into any trouble in the meantime. 

000

“I’m not stupid.”

Sanji wasn’t exactly sure _why_ Luffy was opening with that, since he hadn’t said anything to imply he thought the boy was (he didn’t, not really, although there were some things Luffy was ridiculously obtuse about).  “I don’t think you are,” he said slowly, settling himself on the log. 

Luffy turned toward him, crossing his legs and leaning forward.  “I know.  But Usopp and Chopper keep acting like I don’t know what you were doing that first night.  I know what sex is, Sanji,” he said it with complete seriousness and Sanji nearly choked, coughing and trying to figure out if he’d heard correctly. 

“You…you know…”

“Sex.  Yeah,” Luffy shrugged.  “I don’t really care about it and I’m not interested in it, but I know how it works and why people do it,” he frowned, blinking slowly.  “But that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, because as Captain it’s my job to make sure everybody on my crew is happy and getting along, right?”

“Yes…” Sanji started slowly, still not really sure _where_ this was going.  That Luffy was aware of sex at all was kind of staggering. 

“You and Torao.  Right?” he asked, and Sanji had another coughing fit because _fucking shit_ if Luffy knew that probably meant _everybody_ knew, and he’d wanted to keep that information from Brook and Franky at least because they’d never let him hear the end of it.  Luffy thumped his back, so hard he nearly pitched forward off the log, but he _did_ manage to rein his coughs in. 

“Um…”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Luffy’s voice was deadly serious and Sanji decided to pay attention.  “Because today…you looked at him the same way you used to look at Zoro when you thought nobody was watching.”

And oh.  Well.  He was just getting bombarded with surprising information today, it seemed, because apparently Luffy of all people had realized his feelings for _Zoro_ and he was going to have to seriously re-think how perceptive his captain was. 

“Did he…ever look at me like that?” Sanji asked hesitantly, but it _was_ something he’d been wondering about for a while now.  He knew that Zoro cared about him by this point, but the other man had still never let the word ‘love’ pass his lips and sometimes Sanji wondered if he’d ever be able to get there. 

“Not really,” Luffy shrugged and leaned back.  “But he always looked at you like he was confused about something, so maybe he just didn’t realize what it was.”

“What was?” Sanji was mildly disappointed but not entirely surprised with the information, although Luffy was still being way too vague. 

“Love.  That’s what it is, right?” he sounded completely innocent again now and Sanji really had no choice but to nod.  He could have denied it, the way he’d denied it with Chopper the day before, but he had a feeling that out of everybody on the crew, Luffy and Robin were the two least likely to judge him for the current status of his…relationships.  “So did you and Zoro have a fight?  Did you stop loving him?”

And _that_ was more like the Luffy Sanji had come to know.  The question was asked with such innocence and concern that it made the cook feel guilty for some reason, because they all tried _so hard_ to make sure Luffy was never disappointed in them.  “No.  I still love him,” he said quietly, and Luffy frowned, seemingly mulling that one over. 

“Okay,” he finally said, like he’d just thought everything through and come to an immediate decision.  “So you love both of them.”

He made it sound so _simple,_ and Sanji thought it must be nice to have so few worries or moral dilemmas.  Sometimes he wished his brain worked like that, but he knew he’d always be second-guessing himself in one way or another. 

“Do you think that’s possible?  To love two people?” he wasn’t sure what sort of answer to expect from Luffy, but the boy gave him a contemplative look and then shrugged after a few seconds. 

“Yeah.  I mean, that’s like saying you can only have one friend, or one person in your family, right?  Your feelings might not be _exactly_ the same for everybody, but that doesn’t mean they’re less important to you,” he pointed out. 

“It’s…most people would think it’s wrong, though.  You know?  You’re supposed to fall in love with one person and be loyal to them,” Sanji wrapped his arms around his knees and sighed, looking up when Luffy set a firm hand on his shoulder. 

“Most people don’t think being pirates is the best way of life, but that’s never stopped us, right?” Luffy was grinning at him and his damn smile was so infectious that Sanji found himself returning it without even realizing he was doing so.  “Do Torao and Zoro…I mean, do they both know?  ‘Cuz it wouldn’t be right to lie to them,” Luffy had gotten sombre again, and Sanji nodded. 

“Yeah.  I’m still not sure how they feel about each other, but they’re…okay with it, from what I can tell,” he shrugged, and Luffy nodded. 

“Cool!  Then that’s all that matters, that you’re happy,” he decided, crossing his arms.  “And if anybody gives you crap for it, I’ll kick their ass.  Okay?” he asked, and Sanji felt a surge of affection because of just how _protective_ Luffy was of all of them.  It was incredibly sweet, and normally he hated being babied, but for Luffy he found it was easy to make an exception. 

“Deal,” he agreed, looking up when Luffy plonked the straw hat on his head.  “Thanks, Luffy.”

“Shishishi.  Of course!” Luffy grabbed a tree farther down the beach and rocketed off again, leaving Sanji with his hat, and Sanji stared out at the ocean and felt a little amazed at how much better Luffy was capable of making him feel with just a few words. 

000

“You’ve been sitting out here all morning.”

“Yeah,” Sanji looked up at Zoro, blinking in the bright sunlight.  He’d lost track of time, letting himself watch the waves. 

Zoro sat down beside him, crossing his arms and looking as surly as ever.  “What’s the hat for?”

“Hmm?” Sanji reached to touch the brim of the treasured straw hat, running his fingers along its rough texture.  “What about it?”

“Luffy never gives away his hat unless he’s trying to make somebody feel better.  So what’s wrong?” he didn’t sound all that concerned, but then, it’s not like Zoro ever did. 

“Nothing.  I told him about…us.  Everything,” he added, deciding that he wasn’t going to lie about this anymore.  At least, not to the people directly involved in it.  “He already knew about Law, anyway…I guess he’s not as innocent as we all thought,” he chuckled wryly and Zoro made a surprised noise. 

“You mean, he…”

“Well, he knew what we were doing, anyway.  I believe him when he says he doesn’t care about sex, but that doesn’t mean he’s oblivious to what it is, I guess,” he stretched out his legs, reaching his arms over his head and sighing.  Chopper had let him take the bandages off that morning provided he wore well-padded shoes even if he was just going to the beach, so he’d agreed because anything was better than stumbling around with the gauze pads on his feet.

“Oh,” Zoro looked a little afraid, and Sanji knew that he did care deeply what Luffy thought of him…maybe even more than the rest of them, he wanted to be somebody Luffy was proud of.  “Did he…”

“He’s fine with it, as long as all of us are,” Sanji could _see_ the tension seep out of Zoro’s body with the words, and he leaned his head onto the swordsman’s shoulder.  “But he…” he bit his lip, wondering if it was wise to bring this up yet.  “He said something that made me wonder…and you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but…do you think you’ll ever love me?”

Zoro’s entire body stiffened, his breath coming out in a rush, and Sanji swore he could hear his own heart beating in the stillness between them until Zoro spoke again. 

“Honestly, I don’t even think I know what love _feels_ like, Cook.  I know there’s nobody in the world that I’d rather have at my back during a fight, and I know that if it came down to me or you I’d give my life to protect yours without even hesitating.  I know that sometimes I can’t stand you, and I think in some ways that’s part of the reason why I like you so much.  You challenge me, and you keep me on my toes, and you’re strong and so fucking smart and I can’t imagine life without you by my side.  If that’s love, then I think I already love you.  If it isn’t…well, it’s not something I feel about anybody else, at least not in the same way, so it’s gotta be _something,_ right?” he wrinkled his nose, sounding rather endearingly confused by the end, but his little speech made Sanji more sure than ever that they’d find a way to make things work. 

Zoro was so damn hard to read sometimes but this was as close to a confession as he might ever come, and Sanji was going to take it. 

“And, well, the thought of you being with anybody else made me jealous,” he added, a slight flush on his cheeks, and Sanji was betting that wasn’t something that was easy for him to admit. 

“You can call it whatever you want,” Sanji told him, patting his leg.  “I mean, _I’d_ probably call it love…or something close to it…but if that’s how you feel, that’s good enough for me,” he promised.  Zoro set his hand in the small of Sanji’s back, steady and grounding, and nudged his head up for a kiss. 

Sanji let him lead, eyes fluttering closed, and thought how even a couple of weeks ago he never could have imagined getting to this stage with Zoro.  Maybe it was because they hadn’t given each other much of a chance in the past, but while he’d always been able to see Zoro’s good qualities, there was so much pseudo-animosity between them that even having a simple conversation had been damn near impossible. 

A lot had changed in the last few days, and he was starting to realize Zoro was a much deeper person than he’d initially given him credit for.  They still had fairly contrasting personalities, of course, and nothing was going to change that, but at the core they valued a lot of the same things and it was easy to find common ground in that. 

Besides, he’d always known even _if_ things miraculously worked out, they’d still snipe at each other and get into fights over petty things and pretend to hate each other.

Really, he wouldn’t want Zoro any other way, if he was being completely honest with himself. 

“Hey,” Zoro mumbled, eye narrowed.  “Um.  So.  I was thinking…we’ve got a few days here, now, but do you…I mean, I want to…do it.  With you.  For real.”

And if he wasn’t blushing before, he almost certainly was now.  Sanji had the urge to compare him to a tomato, red-faced with a shock of green on top, but he tamped that down because Zoro obviously wasn’t joking and the last thing Sanji wanted to do was dissuade him or make him feel like the offer wasn’t appreciated. 

“I’ve wanted to ‘do it with you for real’ for years, shitty Marimo,” he snickered, Zoro shoving at his chest.  “Yeah.”

“What about Law?” Zoro asked, somewhat surprisingly, because Sanji had figured he wouldn’t care one way or the other.

“What about him?  He’s got nothing to do with us,” Sanji pointed out. 

Zoro mumbled something that Sanji couldn’t hear, and he kicked the other man’s knee with his foot until he repeated himself. 

“I just…I want to do it right, y’know?  I’ve never even…that thing in the hot springs, that was the first time I’ve ever been with somebody else,” he cleared his throat.  “I know there are…things I’ve gotta do to make sure I don’t hurt you, and you might be able to tell me but he’d be able to _show_ me and I…I learn better that way,” he mumbled, looking so innocent that Sanji cupped his face and leaned to kiss his forehead tenderly.  “Plus if I do something wrong you’ll kick me, but you won’t do that to him,” he added. 

“I knew it was about your fear of getting kicked,” Sanji ruffled Zoro’s hair and pulled back, adjusting the straw hat on his head.  “I’m fine with that if you are,” he wanted to leave the decision up to Zoro in the end, but the thought of _both_ of them being involved with him at the same time was making him half-hard already. 

“Yeah,” Zoro looked relieved that he’d gotten everything out, and Sanji kissed him again before standing up and holding out his hand to help Zoro to his feet. 

“C’mon.  Let’s tell him before you chicken out and change your mind,” he stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed back toward the Inn, hearing Zoro grumbling behind him as they made their way inside. 

000

“And you’re not playing some sort of elaborate joke on me.”

“You really think I’d do that at this point?” Sanji was a little offended, even though he probably should have known Law would respond with a healthy amount of scepticism.  He was certainly the sort of man to look a gift horse in the mouth, and it probably had proved beneficial to his own survival in the past, but at this point there wasn’t any need for it. 

“In all honesty, no,” Law admitted, sitting up a little.  He was in one of the chairs on the balcony, turned toward the ocean enough that the breeze could ruffle his hair.  There was another medical book set on the table in front of him, maybe even the same one Chopper had been looking through with him the other night, and he still looked exhausted but there was markedly more color in his cheeks than there’d been even the night before.  “But the negative part of my brain is still trying to convince me that the two of you will shut me out entirely despite your assurances to the contrary.”

“Not gonna happen,” Sanji glanced over at Zoro, who shrugged and jerked his head toward Law in a rather obvious motion.  The blond nodded, crossing the balcony and dropping himself into the other man’s lap.  “Hey.  Trust me,” he said softly, tipping Law’s chin up and forcing him to meet his eyes. 

“I do,” Law sighed.  “Completely against my better judgement, perhaps, but I do,” he gave Sanji a rather genuine smile then, and Sanji thought that he could get used to seeing that expression on Law’s face instead of his seemingly perpetual scowl. 

“Good,” he shifted forward, the straw hat on his head sliding into his line of vision.  He had a sudden thought and took it off, plopping it on top of Law’s fluffy hair even as the other man opened his mouth to protest. 

He blinked a few times, reaching to touch the brim. 

“Is this…will your Captain approve of me wearing it?” he sounded dubious and Sanji shrugged. 

“Yeah.  I mean, he usually only lets people he really trusts wear it, but I think you count as that now,” he glanced over his shoulder at Zoro, who nodded in obvious approval, and Law seemed to relax a little after that.  “We’ll, um…we’ll do this when you’re healed up enough, okay?” he reached to lay his hand gently over Law’s stomach, the bandages covered by the baggy sweater he was wearing. 

“If you still feel the same way by then.”

Sanji looked up, prepared to berate him, but something about Law’s almost haunted expression made the words die in his throat.  “One day, Trafalgar,” he started, settling his hands on Law’s shoulders.  “One day you’ll learn that when I make a promise, I don’t fucking go back on my word.”

“Like you did the night you said you’d come back to check on me?” Law quirked an eyebrow and Sanji felt a stab of guilt, because that definitely hadn’t been his best moment. 

“Law, I…”

“You were drunk, you were distracted, you were so taken aback by Mr. Zoro making an effort toward your relationship that all other thoughts flew out of your brain...” he stopped, sighing heavily. 

“You said you weren’t angry.”

“I wasn’t,” Law sounded honest.  “And I’m not, but I only trust realities.  Promises are empty words,” he scowled, then, and Sanji felt about as small as a bug even though Law really hadn’t even raised his voice.  “I trust your…intentions, Sanji, and I trust that you won’t break your promises on purpose, perhaps, but that’s it.”

“You really know how to make a guy feel like shit, don’t you?” Sanji sniffed, realizing that had come out a lot more bitter than he’d intended.  He didn’t take well to people undermining his character, even if Law had a valid reason to think the way he did.  “I think I liked you better when you were hopped up on pain meds.”

The smile Law gave him then was ugly, teeth bared in a rictus.  “I see.”

“Fuck, Law, I didn’t mean…”

“No, it’s fine,” Law reached out a hand and Sanji felt a stab of fear even though he _still_ didn’t think Law would hurt him.  As it turned out, he only warped himself to the other side of the balcony, leaving Sanji flailing in mid-air until he landed rather awkwardly on the chair Law had been occupying.  “I’ve long since accepted that people don’t really like me for who I am when I’m in my right mind.”

“Hey…” Zoro started, eye narrowed, but Law simply walked by him and passed over Luffy’s hat. 

“Here.  I’m sure Mr. Blackleg can bring you up to speed on sexual intercourse without me needing to be some sort of pity-invite as a third wheel.  Have fun,” he straightened up and walked into the room, although he barely made it to the bed before he had to sit down, one arm wrapped around his stomach. 

“Shit,” Sanji sprung up and dashed inside.  “Idiot, you over-exerted yourself using your ability…”

“ ‘m _fine,”_ Law’s breathing was short, sweat beading on his forehead.  “Just…leave me alone.”

“I’m a fucking idiot and I talk out of my ass because I get angry way too easy,” Sanji blurted out.  He knew if he didn’t say it now, Law wouldn’t give him the chance to apologize again.  “I didn’t mean it.”

“You wouldn’t have…said it if it weren’t…at least a little…true,” Law was shaking a little.  “I know I have a rather…unpleasant personality.  I do.”

“You could stand to loosen up a little,” Sanji mumbled, stepping back and crossing his arms. 

“You assholes are hopeless,” Zoro grunted, handing Luffy’s hat to Sanji before he took Law’s arm and guided him back against the pillows. 

Law didn’t say anything, eyes squeezed shut.  His fingers were clenched in the blankets, and Sanji felt helpless because he was obviously in pain and Sanji wanted to _help,_ but Law probably wouldn’t even let him near him right now. 

“Should I get Chopper?” Zoro asked quietly, barely blinking when Law grabbed his hand and curled over himself. 

“Yes.  Shit.  I didn’t think I was _this_ weak still,” he looked more angry with himself than anything, and Zoro slipped his hand from Law’s grip, giving Sanji a look that implied he should fix whatever was wrong between them before leaving the room. 

Sanji didn’t think Law wanted him to move any closer, but maybe it was the best time to do this since he couldn’t exactly run away.  He sat down carefully on the edge of the bed, not looking at Law although he reached to place his hand between them, palm-up on the blankets. 

It took a few breaths, a few long moments of silence, before Law’s fingers curled against his own. 

Neither of them said anything, but Sanji didn’t think they had to.  He knew they were both prone to saying things they didn’t mean in the heat of the moment, and while none of it had been nice, it also wasn’t entirely untrue.  Sanji was pretty sure part of the reason Law had gotten so annoyed was because _he_ didn’t exactly like his own personality and Sanji’s words had hit a little too close to home. 

“More than a little, right?” Law’s voice was nearly a whisper, breath hitching in anticipation of Sanji’s answer.

“Yeah,” he said honestly, because one little tiff wasn’t going to change how he felt.  “More than a little.”

He felt Law’s fingers stroking his palm, rhythmic and gentle, and put the straw hat back on his own head as they waited for Zoro to come back. 

“I’m trying,” Law finally said.  “I don’t want to be cold and bitter forever, but it’s so ingrained in me by this point…”

“You try to loosen up a little, and I’ll try to prove to you that I’m a man who _can_ keep his word when it counts.  Deal?”

Law’s fingers never ceased their almost hypnotic movement, even as the silence stretched between them until he finally replied:

“Yes.  Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Once again, I hadn’t intended this to get angsty at the end but it kind of did…
> 
> 2\. I’m on Christmas break from school and work for a couple of weeks, so hopefully updates will be faster over the next little bit! And speaking of Christmas, I wrote a Law/Sanji semi-fluffy Christmas-themed fic called ‘Subversion’ that you can find on my main page, if anybody wants to check it out! 
> 
> 3\. I’m sure some of you have seen this, but the magazine OP runs in did a popularity poll on the characters (the last one they did was way back in 2008) and Law, Zoro and Sanji ended up 2nd, 3rd and 4th, respectively, which I’m rather pleased about! 
> 
> 4\. Thanks again for all the support and lovely words of encouragement I’ve received for this fic!


	23. Chapter 23

“I thought you were helping?”

“I am,” Law was curled up in the armchair in the corner of the room, knees pulled to his chest.  “I’m going to instruct Mr. Zoro in this, but I hardly see any need to participate directly.”

“You’re fucking joking, right?” Sanji glared at him, getting a rather blank look in return that told him that, in fact, Law wasn’t joking in the slightest. 

“I’m a doctor, Sanji,” Law said slowly, as if Sanji had somehow forgotten this.  “It’s imperative that I be able to detach and view things as rationally and unemotionally as possible, because as soon as emotions start getting involved mistakes begin to be made.  Now, I realize this is hardly the same situation as trying to save somebody’s life after a horrific injury, but the same principles apply.  Mr. Zoro will likely be nervous and, knowing him, try to hide it, but his nerves will lead to him wanting to rush things and I’m here to make sure he does things…properly.  If I were involved, my ability to provide that would be compromised.”

Sanji resisted the urge to roll his eyes because trust Law to make sex sound as unappealing as possible.  Still, he wasn’t letting him off that easy.  “By ‘compromised’ you mean ‘turned on,’ right?”

“Well, it’s a possibility,” Law swallowed, a hint of red high on his cheeks.  “You…I’m very attracted to you.  I’m sure you’ve noticed,” he cleared his throat and shrugged, not meeting Sanji’s eyes.  “And there may be a…” he stopped and shook his head. 

“What?” Sanji set the bottle of oil beside the bed, within easy reach, and undid his tie. 

“Seeing you two in such a setting is prone to make me…” he sighed and rubbed his temples.  “That is, what Mr. Zoro said about not liking the idea of us together because he felt jealous, that…may apply to me as well,” he grimaced. 

“Really now?” Sanji had suspected, of course, because Law and Zoro were very alike in that regard.  It was…flattering to hear him say it, but Sanji still didn’t see how purposefully denying himself was going to help any of them, and in fact to have him sitting in the chair and snarking would probably kill the mood entirely.  “You’re jealous?”

“It’s a possibility only,” Law replied testily.  “And not one that I feel needs to be expanded…” he stopped, blinking, eyes fixed on Sanji.  “You’re doing this on purpose.”

“Am I?” Sanji was undoing the buttons on his shirt as slowly as humanly possible, fingertips tracing down his own chest as more skin was revealed.  Law licked his lips, probably without even realizing it, and Sanji knew he’d gotten his full attention.  He walked slowly across the room, climbing onto the chair to straddle Law’s lap, and reached a hand between them to cup the other man through his tight jeans. 

“This is highly inappropriate,” Law sounded out of breath, his body arching into the touch. 

Sanji ignored him, leaning to press his lips against Law’s neck and moving his hand, fingers kneading, feeling Law’s cock start to harden under his touch. 

“You play dirty,” Law hissed, pulse fluttering under Sanji’s lips, and the blond smiled against his throat. 

“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t so damn stubborn.  Or maybe you like it,” he scraped his teeth along Law’s skin, kissing up to his ear and tonguing the metal of his earrings. 

“I do _not,”_ Law still managed to sound affronted even though his arousal, little moans escaping his throat that he couldn’t seem to quiet in time. 

“Should I leave you guys alone or…”

“Zoro!” Sanji hopped up, laughing nervously.  “He wanted to sit there the whole time so I had to…”

“Convince him?” Zoro raised an eyebrow, but he was grinning and Sanji figured that meant he wasn’t _too_ annoyed.  “Yeah, that’s not gonna work.”

“I had merely thought it would be easier if I was instructing from afar so as to not-mmph!” he was cut off by Zoro kissing him, which wasn’t what Sanji had been expecting at all.  Zoro still seemed to kiss more like he was attacking than trying to produce any sort of sensual experience, but after flailing a little Law’s hand settled on his back, sliding up into his hair, and Sanji knew they’d finally convinced him to take a more…active role in the proceedings. 

“Do you want to join us?” Zoro made it sound like a threat, almost, voice a growl that was way hotter than it had any right to be.  “Because I think he wants you to,” he added, leaning in to whisper something into Law’s ear that Sanji couldn’t make out from where he was standing. 

It made Law shiver, though, and his eyes locked on Sanji.  He nodded once, shortly, and Zoro moved back. 

“Good.  Now let’s get this going,” he stripped his shirt off without any preamble, as unashamed of his nudity as always, and Sanji had barely gotten his own shirt off of his arms by the time Zoro was kneeling on the bed, completely naked.  “Come on, Cook; it’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” he smirked and Sanji huffed an annoyed breath, undoing his slacks and placing them and his shirt carefully over the desk chair.  “C’mere.”

Sanji climbed onto the bed, draping his arms around Zoro’s neck and leaning to kiss him.  Zoro’s hands clamped onto his hips, firm and possessive, and for as tentative as he’d been that night in the hot springs this was a welcome change of pace. 

“You’re…not as reluctant as I thought you’d be,” he broke away to mention, just needing to be sure Zoro was really okay with everything. 

“Nah, I’m only really unsure when it’s something I haven’t done before.  And this might be different than last time, but in the end it’s still sex, right?” he ran his hands up Sanji’s sides.  “And I liked that.”

“You’ll like this even more,” Sanji promised, kissing him again and licking at his lips until Zoro opened his mouth.  He could feel Zoro’s erection pressing against his own, his body thrumming with arousal as he deepened the kiss.  Zoro’s hands moved down again, gripping his ass and hoisting him up farther into his lap. 

“What do we…” Zoro muttered against his lips.. 

“Oil,” Sanji replied, forcing himself to pull away.  He leaned over to swipe the bottle off of the night table, passing it to Zoro.  “You know what to do?”

“I’m sure I can figure it out,” Zoro had a rather demonic grin on his face and Sanji matched it, marveling at how _easy_ this was.  Yes, he knew he and Zoro had definitely come a long way from the constant bickering and feigned hatred that had always marred their interactions in the past, but he never could have imagined it would be so simple to go from rivals to…well, he supposed he could technically call them ‘lovers’…and have not be awkward at all. 

It was another challenge of sorts to Zoro, probably, but Sanji was more than convinced by now that everything would end up being a challenge between them one way or the other, even if it was just to see who could hold off their orgasm the longest. 

He watched as Zoro uncapped the bottle, the sound of light footsteps distracting him. and he turned to look over his shoulder only to see Law attempting to slip out of the room.

“So help me, Trafalgar, I am going to tie you to the fucking _bed,”_ he hissed, and Law stopped where he was standing.  “You know I’ll do it.”

“What kind of kinky shit did you guys _do?”_ Zoro sounded a little worried now.  Sanji shrugged, keeping his eyes on Law to make sure he didn’t try to get away again. 

“You know that…thing those bounty hunters had me in?” he asked slowly, half-turning so he could see Zoro’s expression. 

He looked apprehensive, but his hands on Sanji’s skin never faltered, which Sanji was going to take as a good sign.  “You…”

“He volunteered,” Sanji smirked in Law’s direction, and the surgeon straightened up and crossed his arms. 

“I did,” Law sighed, taking a couple of steps toward the bed.  “For the record, it’s highly uncomfortable.”

“It’s a torture device,” Zoro still seemed immensely confused as to _why_ anybody would voluntarily want to be put into something like that, and Sanji found it rather innocently endearing. 

He’d have to change that, though. 

Law was still hovering uncertainly by the edge of the bed, arms crossed and body completely rigid.  Sanji looked at Zoro, who shrugged and jerked his head in Law’s direction. 

The blond reluctantly slid out of Zoro’s lap, getting to his feet and moving to where Law was.  “Hey,” he set his hands on the older man’s shoulders.  “Look, if you really don’t want to do this, we’re not going to force you or anything.  You can leave.  But I think we both want you here,” he added. 

“I do.  Want it,” Law promised.  “But…”

“No.  No ‘but’s.  You’re always trying to find excuses or ways to put yourself down, and that’s not happening tonight,” Sanji poked the other man in the chest, glaring at him and daring him to say anything to counter that. 

“Okay,” Law was frowning, obviously unhappy at being overridden, but when he stepped back this time it was only so he could strip his shirt off.  Chopper had okayed him to go without any sort of bandages the day before, but Sanji knew they’d still have to be careful even though there was hardly any visual proof Law had been stabbed at all (which Sanji was betting had to do with his power, _somehow,_ but even outside of that Law’s body seemed remarkably resilient). 

“Good,” Sanji held out his hand, still needing Law to make that final move, and the surgeon rolled his eyes but he did reach to grip Sanji’s hand and allowed the blond to pull him back to the bed.  He stopped before they reached it, undoing Law’s jeans and letting the other man damn near peel them off before continuing, seating himself in the middle of the bed and clearing his throat. 

“So,” Zoro looked impatient, an annoyed scowl on his face as he held the bottle up.  “Where do we start?”

000

“He’s not made of glass.”

“I know that!” Zoro snapped, and Sanji sighed and tried to keep his body relaxed because so far this was turning out about as well as expected.  He’d known somehow that Zoro would either be too rough or so worried about being careful that nothing he did would be effective at all, and while Sanji was glad for his body’s sake that it was the latter, it was also immensely frustrating.  “But I don’t…”

“Oh, for Heaven’s sakes, _here.”_

Sanji gasped, not expecting Law to actually guide Zoro by, well, _literally_ guiding him (and the knowledge that both of them were inside him was _really_ fucking hot).  He arched his neck up and tried to see, something that was almost impossible despite his almost inhuman flexibility.  It was a little awkward, lying on his back with his legs draped over Zoro’s shoulders and his back arched off the mattress to give the other man better access, but _hopefully_ the next time everything would go a lot smoother. 

“Curl your finger,” Law murmured.

“Why?” Zoro sounded frustrated, like he was annoyed he wasn’t perfect at fingering another man’s ass on the first try (and really, only _Zoro_ would take _that_ as some sort of personal failure). 

“Trust me.  You’ll know when you feel it,” Law’s voice was rough from arousal, one of his hands stroking the inside of Sanji’s knee as if to comfort him. 

“Okay, but I…”

Sanji groaned, body jerking when Zoro’s finger pressed against his prostate. 

“Oh.”

“ _Yes,”_ Law chuckled rather darkly.  “Now, stop doubting yourself and add another finger.  And you know…they say that performing fellatio in conjunction with fingering helps to relax the body,” he slid his hand out and Sanji could practically _hear_ the gears turning in Zoro’s head at that one. 

“Fella…”

“He means a blowjob, idiot,” Sanji rubbed his hand over his eyes and yelped when Zoro curled his finger again.  “Fuck!”

“Well, that shut you up,” Zoro sounded far too amused and Sanji pushed his shoulders up, not surprised to see a shit-eating grin on his face.  “How do I…”

“No teeth,” Sanji told him, digging his heel into Zoro’s back.  “I can kick your skull in from here so don’t try anything funny.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Zoro sighed, and Sanji could hear him shifting on the bed before he felt the other man’s mouth hesitantly close around his erection.  He was being _very_ careful this time, which Sanji appreciated, but honestly it wouldn’t have mattered _how_ awful he was because knowing that it was Zoro was enough to turn him on rather quickly. 

“Mmph,” he mumbled, not even sure what he was trying to _say,_ and he felt Zoro swallow and move his mouth down a little farther. 

“Is that okay?” he asked, the vibrations skittering down Sanji’s cock and making him gasp.  “Yeah?”

“That’s still so fucking _weird_ ,” Sanji laughed, a little hysterically, but while he’d always suspected Zoro would be able to talk with a cock in his mouth the reality of it was more than a little strange. 

“Good,” Law broke in again.  “Keep moving your fingers while you suck, and try to take him in as deep as you can before pulling off.  Add a third finger when you think he’s ready.”

That seemed to be all the encouragement Zoro needed, because Sanji felt his fingers start to move, his cock engulfed in tight, wet heat as Zoro nearly took all of him in on the first try.  He was still moving slowly, getting used to things he’d never done before, but his fingers were moving more surely and when he added a third there was no hesitation in his movements at all.  Sanji lay his head back and enjoyed the attention, feeling his shoulders sink into the mattress. 

Zoro’s mouth slid slowly off of his cock, tongue licking the very tip before he pulled away, and Sanji could hear him smacking his lips. 

“We’lll work on it,” Law promised.  “I’ll give you a… _demonstration_ next time.”

 _Next time._ The words sent a thrill through Sanji’s body, because if _Law_ was convinced there was going to be a next time, that meant there probably would be.  And yeah, Zoro’s technique could use some work, but since he had no gag reflex Sanji was guessing he’s pick it up rather quickly as long as it was the only thing he needed to focus on. 

…Not that he was one to talk, of course, since he’d never given anybody a blowjob either, but maybe one day…

“Sanji,” Law leaned over him so that Sanji could look up at him.  “Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” Sanji nodded.  “ ‘m good.  C’mere,” he pulled Law down into a kiss, needing the contact.  Law’s hands ran down his chest, thumbs flicking over his peaked nipples, and Sanji whined, dipping his tongue into Law’s mouth before he broke away.  “How are we…um…how…”

“I have an idea,” Law started, glancing between them.  “I still probably shouldn’t exert myself too much, but…” he lay down on the bed, tugging on Sanji’s arm to get him to straddle him.  “Is that okay?”

“And then Zoro can…” Sanji glanced over his shoulder, because he could see how this would work.  It would be close, and he could feel his anxiety rising a little but he _trusted_ both of these men more than he could ever express and he knew if he said the word they’d stop, even if it was just to let him breathe.  “Okay,” he lowered his body down, elbows flat on either side of Law’s body and ass raised in the air a little. 

“Relax,” Law kissed him, hands skimming down his sides.  Sanji could feel Zoro moving closer, one hand touching his hip.  “Put some oil on yourself, Mr. Zoro,” Law instructed, Zoro audibly fumbling with the bottle until he grunted in acknowledgement.  “Good.  Try to enter in one long stroke and don’t stop until you’re fully inside.”

“Okay,” Zoro’s hand tightened on his hip and Sanji could feel the tip of his cock nudging against his asshole.  He forced himself to relax, focusing on Law’s hands and then his mouth when the older man kissed him again.  “Um…”

“Sheathing a sword, Mr. Zoro,” Law pulled away from Sanji’s lips to mumble, and Sanji knew Zoro would understand _that_ if nothing else. 

“Right,” Zoro pushed his hips forward, sliding in until they were pressed against Sanji’s skin, and Sanji shuddered at the feeling of being filled.  “ _Shit,_ you’re so tight…”

“I’m good,” Sanji looked over his shoulder, catching Zoro’s lips briefly when the other man leaned over him.  Law reached to grip the back of Zoro’s thighs, pulling them all even closer and guiding his movements, and Sanji buried his face against Law’s neck and told himself to hold on. 

He could feel Zoro’s chin hook over his shoulder, his body vibrating a little, although whether it was from nerves or excitement or a little of both Sanji couldn’t tell.  Law moved one arm to wrap around Zoro’s back, pulling him down into a kiss, and Sanji didn’t know if it was for his benefit or if they actually _wanted_ to kiss each other, but it was really fucking hot to have them making out just over his head. 

“Move,” Law told Zoro, hands going back to his hips.  Sanji lowered his body a little, making the reach easier, although doing so caused his cock to brush against Law’s and they both moaned at the stimulation.  “Trust me.  He can take it,” Law added, sounding much more breathless now.  Sanji felt Zoro’s hands go to his hips as he pulled back and pushed forward again, obviously testing out the feeling. 

“ _Fuck,_ Zoro,” he whined, not even caring how shameless he looked now with his ass in the air and his body literally trapped between two men.  He kissed Law’s chest, tongue tracing the swirls of the tattoo, and wrapped his lips around a dusky nipple, nipping lightly with his teeth.  Law whined, low in his throat, cock twitching against Sanji’s hip. 

Zoro settled himself into a rhythm, hands gripping Sanji’s hips so tightly he knew he’d have bruises there come morning but he could hardly care less.  He bent to kiss Sanji’s shoulder, moving faster, and Sanji threw his head back and arched his body into it. 

“Is that…does it…”

“Yeah.  Keep…” he swallowed, keeping his hands flattened on the blankets to brace his body upright.  “ _Fuck.”_

“Good,” Zoro sounded smug, lips pressed to Sanji’s ear.  His hips snapped forward, jolting Sanji’s entire body and making his hands slide a little.  Law’s hands came up to hold him steady, keeping him locked in place so he could hardly move, but instead of feeling trapped he let himself get lost in the feeling of being wrapped up: Zoro draped over his back, nuzzling the nape of his neck, and Law’s lips at his throat, his thumbs rubbing calming circles just above Sanji’s hips.  He let his eyes flutter closed and breathed out slowly, rocking back against Zoro’s thrusts as best he could. 

“Sanji…’m sorry, I…” Zoro mumbled after a few more quick rolls of his hips, and since it was his first time doing anything like this Sanji couldn’t exactly blame him for not being able to last long. 

“No, ‘s fine,” Sanji promised, pushing his hips back.  “Do it.  I want to feel you come,” he choked out, yelping when Zoro’s nails dug into his hips and he did, almost on command.  He was silent, breath coming in harsh pants and body quivering with the release of tension, and Sanji nearly fell on top of Law when Zoro slumped over him. 

Law took a hand off of his hip, shifting so that he could wrap both his own and Sanji’s cocks in his fist, and he jerked them off with fast, sure strokes.  Sanji leaned down to kiss him, gasping against his mouth, jerking his hips into the touch.  His eyes met Law’s own, nearly black with lust, and Law gave one quick nod that was all Sanji needed to _finally_ fall apart.  Law’s body tensed, mouth dropping open as he reached his own climax, but he kept stroking until Sanji whined, over-sensitized and exhausted. 

He had enough presence of mind to _not_ land on Law’s injury, but he still ended up flopping pretty heavily.  “You’ve made quite the mess,” Law’s hand came up, soiled fingers tracing his lips, and Sanji opened his mouth to lick the other man’s fingers clean.  He swirled his tongue around the long, slender digits, Law’s eyes half-closing at the attention, and heard Zoro laugh from above him. 

“Fuck, I had no idea…”

“What?” Law glared at the swordsman, somehow seemingly finding offense even in that rather neutral statement. 

“You’re so…I mean, I know you’re not as cold as you pretend to be, but I didn’t think you’d be so…” Zoro sounded like he wasn’t sure of the words, but Law relaxed and let his fingers slide from Sanji’s mouth. 

“Involved?” Law raised an eyebrow.  “I’m not, unless it’s around people I trust.”

“Yeah?” Zoro sounded almost _happy_ to be included in that, probably because Law didn’t trust easily, and Law nodded.  “Well, good.  I’m gonna…” he pulled back, cock slipping from Sanji’s ass with a rather unpleasant squelching noise, and Sanji sighed against Law’s shoulder. 

Zoro flopped on his other side, one arm carelessly thrown over his hip to land on Law’s.  Sanji wondered again just _how_ much of what they were doing was for him and how much was because they were actually coming to _like_ each other.

It didn’t matter that much, in the end, because this behavior was immensely preferable to them glaring at each other all the time, but it was still something he’d have to ask them about when he wasn’t so damn exhausted. 

“So?” he managed to form the words, tongue feeling like sandpaper in his mouth.  “Was it okay?”

“Yeah.  I know I wasn’t perfect, but…”

“We’ll work on it,” Sanji promised, snickering, turning his head enough so Zoro could kiss him.  “We should…clean up.”

“In a minute,” Zoro replied, not seeming inclined at all to move, and Sanji decided he’d grant him a little bit of time before he kicked him out of bed and made him grab a wet cloth. 

For now, even though by all rights it should be uncomfortable…they were all sweaty and debauched, covered in cum and oil, pressed tight against each other…he couldn’t think of anywhere else in the world he’d rather be. 

It was an extremely sappy thought, and one he’d probably deny ever having later, but he was too sated in that moment to care. 

Everything was overshadowed by the knowledge that they’d soon be heading for Dressrosa and nobody knew what would come of it, but looking at Law now, eyes half-closed and a tiny smile on his lips as he nuzzled his face against Sanji’s shoulder, all he could do was hope that tonight wasn’t the last time they’d all get to spend together. 

After all, they were just getting started. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. So, for a little…Christmas gift, I’ve decided to gift you all with threesome smut. I…haven’t written a threesome in a long time, so I hope it reads okay and wasn’t too confusing because it gets complicated with so many bodies involved! 
> 
> 2\. There’s probably only going to be a couple more chapters of this fic, but one of my reviews gave me a sequel idea (it won’t follow canon since it’ll take place after Dressrosa and I have no idea how that arc’s going to end), but yeah, hopefully people will be interested in reading that regardless!
> 
> 3\. That’s about it, I think! Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and thank you as always for the lovely feedback I’ve gotten on this fic :)


	24. Chapter 24

When Sanji woke up the next morning, both Zoro and Law were still fast asleep.  He slid out from between them, stepping carefully onto the rug and padding his way to the bathroom.  His entire body ached in the best possible way, but it was still better if he didn’t try to move _too_ quickly, he figured. 

Last night had been…amazing, for the most part, although he was still a little taken aback that Law had so easily promised a ‘next time’ when to begin with Sanji honestly didn’t think he’d go through with it at all. 

‘Next time’, though, was a tricky thing, because ‘next time’ implied all of them making it out of Dressrosa alive, and that feeling of foreboding he had whenever he thought about Law facing off against Doflamingo hadn’t gone away.

He knew it meant something bad, but he still couldn’t figure out what _exactly_ it was warning him about, and he had to trust Law to take care of himself because there was certainly no way _he’d_ stand any chance against Doflamingo. 

Well, worrying about it wasn’t going to help any of them, so all he could do was enjoy the time they still had to spend before reaching Dressrosa and then hope for the best.  He glanced at himself in the mirror, groaning, because his skin was covered in bruises and it looked like he’d been on the losing end of a street fight. 

Damn pale skin, he thought irritably, wishing he’d brought his cigarettes with him so that he wouldn’t have to walk back to the bed to get them.  He straightened up, squeaking at the pull on his back. 

He heard light footsteps from behind him and sighed when Law’s arms slid around his waist, the other man’s chin resting on his shoulder. 

“Feeling okay?” Law asked softly, pressed warm against Sanji’s back, and Sanji leaned into the embrace. 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he shrugged, letting Law hold most of his weight.  “I need to ask you about last night, though…”

“What?” Law yawned, adorably half-asleep still, and Sanji smiled to himself at just how fucking _human_ Law could be when he didn’t bother putting all of his walls up. 

“You and Zoro.  Was that…for me, or do you guys…” he shrugged, not sure how to say it without sounding jealous or possessive.  He wasn’t, not really, even though it was a surprise just how…enthusiastic they were about the whole making out thing. 

“I can only speak for myself, but I believe it was a bit of both,” Law still sounded drowsy, his words slurring together, and Sanji figured he was more likely to be honest when he was tired so that might have been a good thing.  “Of course I knew it would be easier for you if we were getting along, but I don’t typically engage in deliberate acts of intimacy with anybody I don’t like on some level. Does that bother you?” he asked softly, and Sanji shrugged. 

“Nah.  Not really.  It’s better if you actually like each other, especially if there’s gonna be a next time,” he reached to pat Law’s hip, hearing the other man sigh heavily. 

“I did say that, didn’t I?”

“Mm.  So no backing out of it,” Sanji said, trying to sound as threatening as possible.  Law laughed quietly and kissed his shoulder, holding him tightly, both of them knowing without saying that of course ‘next time’ wasn’t at all a sure thing. 

Law didn’t get a chance to reply because of a pounding on the door, and Sanji glanced up to meet Law’s eyes in the mirror, the other man looking as perplexed as he felt. 

“Sanji-kun!  Are you in there?”

“I’m coming, my darling!” he called, because he still thought it was impossible to ignore Nami when she called for him, and he snagged a robe off of the bathroom door, quickly slipping it on and trying to smooth his hair into some semblance of order. 

Law grabbed his jeans from beside the bed and slid into them, nodding at Sanji while he was doing up the zipper, so the blond pulled the door open to find a very panicked-looking Nami waiting on the other side.

“Oh, good.  We…” she stopped, her eyes taking both of them in, before she coughed rather awkwardly and blushed.  “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, Nami-san,” Sanji knew he was probably just as red, because there really wasn’t any question as to what had been going on.  “What’s wrong?”

“The air pressure’s changing, and from the way it feels there’s a hurricane…or at least a really massive storm-front…heading this way.  I talked to the owner and she said that it’s the right time of year for bad weather, so I think we’re going to have to leave today unless we want to get delayed again,” she did look apologetic, twirling a lock of long auburn hair idly around one slender finger.  “So get whatever fresh supplies you need from the market and meet us back by the Sunny around noon.  Okay?”

“Yes, I don’t think we can afford another delay,” Law noted with a heavy sigh.  “We’ll be there, Miss Nami.”

“Thank you,” she looked relieved that they’d agreed so readily, but her face grew more serious a second later.  “Have either of you seen Zoro, by any chance?  He’s the only one I can’t find, and…”

Sanji cleared his throat, ducking his head to hide the fact that he’d probably grown even redder, and Nami blinked at him curiously. 

“Don’t worry about Mr. Zoro.  He’ll be there as well,” Law broke in and Sanji was grateful for it, because he didn’t think his voice was working at the moment.  Luffy and Robin were safe, maybe, but he honestly didn’t know how anybody else on the crew would react to the news of their…rather unconventional relationship.

Nami looked suspicious, eyes narrowed and her arms folded under her breasts in a pose that Sanji knew meant she’d pry the answer from him one way or another. 

After all, it was equally as impossible for him to _not_ tell her the truth when she cornered him about it, and not just because it was normally accompanied by the threat of violence (Nami wasn’t a large woman by any means, but he honestly thought she could lay out a giant with one of her punches). 

“Right.  Well.  Be sure he’s there, or we’re leaving him,” she spun around, hair whipping behind her, and stalked down the hallway

Sanji stayed in the doorway, blinking after her, his mind reeling a little because he’d assumed he’d still have a day to come to terms with what might happen once they got to Dressrosa.  Yes, they’d still have the time it took to sail there, but it had been hard enough just finding a private place for him and Law to fool around without adding Zoro to the equation and he was betting all of them would have…other things on their minds anyway. 

“Well,” Law’s voice broke into his thoughts and he half-turned, seeing that Law’s face was entirely unreadable.  “I suppose it’s for the best.  Every other time we’ve planned to leave it hasn’t worked out favorably, after all,” he touched his side, even though there was truly no sign any longer that he’d ever been nearly fatally injured. 

“Yeah.  Right,” Sanji cursed himself for how tight his voice sounded.  “I should…Zoro.  I need to wake him up.  Nami-san’s serious about leaving him behind,” he laughed, the sound false and hollow, and tried to sneak past Law. 

The surgeon grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving, and Sanji really had no choice but to turn and face him.  Law’s expression was still guarded, but there was a tenderness to his gaze that Sanji knew was entirely for him and it still made his stomach swoop a little to see it so openly displayed. 

“There will be a next time, Sanji.  I promise,” he sounded sure, even though Sanji knew he himself probably didn’t believe the words for a second. 

“Yeah.  I know,” he didn’t even have a witty retort ready, unable to be nothing but completely honest.  “I should…”

“Yes,” Law didn’t let go of his arm, however, and when he tugged Sanji closer and into a kiss there was an air of finality about it that left an ache in the blond’s chest.  “Right.  Go wake Mr. Zoro,” he stepped away and turned to gather the rest of his clothing, Sanji watching him in silence for a few moments before sighing in resignation and walking over to the bed where Zoro was still snoring away.

000

“He thinks he’s gonna die,” Zoro didn’t seem fazed by that at all.  Sanji looked over from where he was picking out some fruit, a little surprised the swordsman was so seemingly unaffected by the news.  “Look, it was the same for me before I fought Mihawk, and back with Kuma.  Sometimes there’s just this _feeling,_ that you’re not going to make it out alive, and instead of sending you into a panic it calms you down and focuses you somehow.  That’s where he is right now, and that’s a good thing,” he promised, even though Sanji failed to see _how_ it could be. 

He guessed Zoro would know more about it than him, maybe, but it was still fucking depressing. 

“Look,” Zoro stopped him after he’d paid the clerk, his feet already carrying him toward the fish market, and he let the other man draw him into an alleyway to talk.  “You know how important this is to him, probably more than I ever will.  He’s not the type of guy to go on a suicide mission, but he’s also a guy that’s gonna fucking do everything he can to make sure if somebody _has_ to get hurt, it’s gonna be him over anybody else.  I’m the same way, and I respect that,” he said quietly, although all his words really did was cause Sanji to flash back to Thriller Bark again.  

He’d always known Zoro and Law were far more similar than probably either of them would ever admit, but it was more evident than ever now.  Sanji knew he’d sacrifice himself in a heartbeat for anybody he cared about, but he was somebody who reacted to the situation and he couldn’t rationalize _expecting_ to go into something and not come out alive before even knowing what any of them were up against. 

“Trust him,” Zoro added, glancing around to make sure nobody was near before he clapped his hand on Sanji’s shoulder, thumb gently stroking along his collarbone for a few seconds.

“I’m going to have to, I think,” Sanji admitted with a half-smile, leaning in to give Zoro a chaste peck on the lips before withdrawing and hefting the bag.  “C’mon.  We’ve still gotta hit the fish market and I want to be back well before noon so Nami-san has no reason to come after us.”

Zoro grunted in agreement, scowling and stuffing his hands in his pockets, and while Sanji didn’t feel _better_ about the situation at least Zoro’s words gave him some comfort.

It was small, and it didn’t make the roiling anxiety or feelings of impending doom go away, but it was appreciated nonetheless. 

000

He’d been right about them not having time to do anything once they were back on board the ship, and for what turned out to be their only night aboard they’d all mostly fallen asleep in a heap of blankets in the corner of the galley, Sanji’s hands clenched in Law’s sweater as if he could keep him safe just by holding on tightly enough. 

Morning had come far too soon, and with it the inevitable need to make breakfast.  He’d left the warm cocoon of blankets regretfully, feeling Law squeeze his hand before he withdrew completely. 

By the time breakfast dishes had been cleaned up Dressrosa was in sight, looming on the horizon, and Sanji hurried to put everything in its place and went to go change before they made landfall.

He stopped on his way to the men’s quarters, seeing Law standing on the deck with his hood pulled up and the back of his coat clearly visible.  It was a new one, emblazoned with a variation of Law’s Jolly Roger that Sanji hadn’t seen before, but if the word ‘Corazon’ underneath it was any indication, it was clear who it was meant for. 

Law’s body posture was tense, although his shoulders were hunched, and in what was probably a misguided attempt to lighten the mood Sanji pulled the hood of his own sweatshirt up, crossing his arms and sauntering up to stand beside Law and match his posture.  He slid a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket, the bright sun reflecting off of the waves hard on his eyes after the dimness of the galley, and slid them onto his face.  He looked ridiculous, he was sure, but for once he couldn’t care in the least.

“Feeling okay?” he asked after a few minutes, knowing Law knew he was there.  “Nerves?”

“Surprisingly, no,” Law’s fingers flexed against Kikoku’s sheathe, his voice even.  “Perhaps I’m even a tad relieved this will all be over soon, one way or another,” he shifted, pushing his coat back, and for the first time Sanji saw that he wasn’t wearing anything underneath it and had to look away because he _really_ wasn’t used to seeing Law show so much skin outside of the bedroom. 

Now wasn’t the time, of course, so he pushed those thoughts aside for the moment. 

“You’ll make him proud,” he said, laying his hand over the symbol stitched on the back of Law’s coat.  “I know you will.”

“I only hope so,” Law sighed heavily and finally turned to look at him, something so resolute in his gaze that Sanji almost felt his own confidence strengthen. 

“Hey, you’ve got a promise to keep,” Sanji reminded him, lighting up a cigarette and sticking it in the corner of his mouth with a grin. 

Law gave him a sickly half-smile that dropped almost instantly, his hand coming up to point.  “Your hood’s on fire.”

“My… _shit!”_ Sanji swatted at it rather ineffectually, taking a step back and catching his heel on an uneven plank on the deck, a move that resulted on him landing flat on his ass with his legs pointed straight up in the air. 

Luckily, the crash to the deck had smothered the tiny fire.  He pushed himself upright with a groan, retrieving the crushed and smoldering cigarette and staring at it mournfully. 

“Fuck, I’m never that clumsy,” he rubbed at his tailbone and stood up, turning back to Law, but instead of being amused as he’d expected the older man was staring at him as if he’d just seen a ghost.  “What?”

“You’re never that clumsy because, I think, somebody was guiding your hand.  Or your feet, as it were,” his voice was almost robotic, uneven and full of awe, and Sanji moved the sunglasses down so he could see Law’s expression more clearly.  “Everything you just did…down to the way you look right now, that was…” he swallowed, some hidden emotion making his voice shake, and Sanji _understood_ because as far as he knew only one person could affect Law so much.  

He wasn’t sure he believed in any sort of god, or even in miracles or acts of divine intervention, but this was all just too strange to be anything but and he stared up at the sky, feeling foolish but silently asking Corazon, if he was up there, to watch over Law and keep him safe. 

“Do you think he likes me, if he just tried to kill me?” he asked seriously, and Law settled an arm around his shoulders and chuckled.

“Yeah.  Knowing him, that was a good sign,” he rubbed Sanji’s arm, his eyes once more locked on Dressrosa.  Sanji heard footsteps behind him and knew just from the pacing and weight of them it was Zoro.  The swordsman came up on his other side, his eye narrowed as he scanned the ocean in front of them. 

“Well, time for another adventure,” he adjusted the katana at his side, a kind of coiled anticipation in his stance.  Zoro lived for that excitement, that adrenaline rush, and his familiar predatory grin was starting to form as he looked over at the cook.  Sanji lit up another cigarette, confident now that he wouldn’t set himself on fire again, and blew out some smoke that he watched dissipate in the warm air. 

“Yeah,” he agreed, looking from Zoro to Law and letting himself believe, even for just a few seconds, that things would turn out alright. 

“Let’s go.”

** End **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, friends, we have come to the end of this adventure. This fic has been incredibly fun to write and I’m still so amazed at how well it’s been received and how much encouragement I’ve gotten for it throughout the process. I hope the ending was satisfactory, even though it probably didn’t end on the most positive note, but that’s because….
> 
> 2\. There is a sequel in the works. I’ve already got most of the first chapter written so it shouldn’t take too long to start up, and it will take place post-Dressrosa and be a lot more AU since, of course, I have no idea where Oda is going with the end of Dressrosa or what comes after. It’ll also deal with some…things that have happened in recent chapters, so be warned if you’re not caught up with the manga. 
> 
> 3\. Thank you all again so much for your kind words and comments on this fic, and I do hope to see you all for the sequel :)


End file.
